US08814725B2

An iron-type golf club head is disclosed having a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a front portion, a rear portion, and a striking face. A back wall is also disclosed in the rear portion enclosing a portion of the rear portion to create an enclosed cavity. The cavity is defined by at least a rear surface of the striking face, an inner back wall surface, and the sole portion. A plug and a filler material is located within the enclosed cavity. The filler material surrounds the plug and is configured to hold the plug in place. The plug is lighter than the filler material.
US08814716B2

A golf practice device having a simulated putting green surface having artificial turf that is approximately the same height and an appearance similar to an actual grass putting surface. Surrounding the putting surface is a collar of artificial turf with grass blades that are longer than the putting surface portion. The turf surfaces may have the ability to float or a floatable substrate can be disposed below the turf for using the device as a floating target for golf shots.
US08814709B2

A flexible shaft for torque transfer has a plurality of metal wires that are helically wound in a plurality of layers with an opposite winding direction that alternates from layer to layer. Each of the metal wires is surrounded by an electrically insulating insulation layer. The insulating layer prevents a metal-on-metal contact between adjacent metal wires and thereby prevents unwanted intermodulation products.
US08814694B2

In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a device; detect a status level corresponding to the device; receive content on the device based on the status level; and display the content on the device based on the status level.
US08814683B2

A method of utilizing a player's movements in association with a wagering game event, includes sensing a player's movements using a movement sensing device, storing a representation of the player's movements in non-transient computer-readable storage media in association with player-identifying information, associating the representation of the player's movements with the wagering game event in the storage media, and replaying the representation of the player's movements on one or more display devices operatively associated with a wagering game machine responsive to an occurrence of the wagering game event.
US08814676B2

Universal Player Controls for regulated pay computer-controlled video games afford players an efficient, intuitive method for customizing the layout and appearance of their favorite electronic games. A popup control featuring a jog wheel for fast selection and geometric control using the touch screen may be attached to each predetermined group of graphic assets allowing players to move, resize, dim, animate, temporary hide or overlap them. Predetermined presentation styles (skins) may be successively rendered. Whereas the displays on the regulated pay computer-controlled video games of the prior art were often visually cluttered and not visually appealing to adult game console players, the present Universal Player Controls enables the players to tailor the game appearance then save it in a player profile for latter retrieval.
US08814673B1

Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter include operations for presenting a lighting show in a wagering game system. The operations can include receiving, over a first network, a playlist identifier that identifies a playlist, where the playlist is associated with a first group of lighting commands for presenting lighting effects on lighting devices in the wagering game system. The operations can also include generating the first group of lighting commands, and receiving, over the first network, a second group of lighting commands for presenting the lighting effects on the lighting devices in the wagering game system. The operations can also include generating, based on the first and second groups of lighting commands, instructions specific to the lighting devices, and transmitting, over a second network, the instructions for execution by one or more lighting controllers connected to the lighting devices, wherein the execution causes the lighting effects.
US08814662B1

A computer-implemented method and system are described to provide virtual currency in a virtual game. The method may record a purchase value of a value icon in a virtual game. The value icon may then be deployed in the virtual environment of the virtual game. For each of a plurality of reference time periods, interaction of a player of the virtual game with the value icon may be monitored, and a virtual currency amount may be awarded to the player in the event of the player interacting with the value icon a set number of instances during each of the reference time periods. Further virtual currency may be denied upon subsequent interaction with the value icon during the same reference time period.
US08814659B2

A method of providing a game for a gaming device is provided. The method includes providing a plurality of average values. Average values in the plurality of average values represent different values of a prize pool. A wager amount and an input to initiate game play are received. An average value is selected from the plurality of average values and a random award is determined from the prize pool. The random award is determined from the average value selected from the plurality of average values.
US08814650B2

Techniques for execution of multiple application programs and their variations are disclosed. One or more individual application program components that are determined to be already stored and/or loaded into memory are not loaded into memory again, thereby allowing the associated application program to be executed without unnecessarily reloading the one or more individual application program components into memory. Generally, by keeping track and/or predicting of the application components loaded into memory, it can be determined whether to load or unload a particular application program component. In addition, data that can readily identify the application components that are not already into memory can be provided as differential application data for loading various application programs and their variations to facilitate switching between and/or concurrently running multiple application programs and their variations.
US08814648B2

A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines, gaming tables, hand held gaming devices and/or community gaming displays. The central server monitors wagers placed on any games played. Based at least in part on the wagers placed, the central server determines when one or more bonus events will occur and which players to provide any bonus awards.
US08814644B2

An interactive system for simulating a treasure hunt, comprising a plurality of pseudo-treasures (1) distributed over a playing area (5), and a detector (6) which is allocated to each player (7, 20, 21) and is suitable for scanning over the playing area (5) and detecting at least one pseudo-treasure (1), characterized in that said system further comprises means (24) suitable for allocating, to each player (7, 20, 21), at least one specific pseudo-treasure (1) to be found within a predetermined time period, each pseudo-treasure (1) comprising identification means and each detector (6) being suitable for identifying the scanned pseudo-treasures (1) and indicating the pseudo-treasure or treasures (1) found within the set time period.
US08814643B2

The present disclosure is directed to challenge search query game systems and methods wherein search queries are integrated into game play activities. In one example approach, a challenge search query game system may include a search server configured to receive a challenge query from a game program in response to an in-game action by a game player, and retrieve a challenge in response to the challenge query. The challenge may include one or more clues and a solution. The search server may further be configured to send the challenge to the game program for display in the game, causing the game program to store the challenge and present a first clue from the one or more clues to the game player.
US08814641B2

An example system and method is provided for detecting a moment of impact and/or strength of a swing based on moving a hand-held device including an accelerometer arrangement. A moment and a magnitude of simulated striking of the object are determined based on one or more accelerometer arrangement outputs resulting from the moving of the hand-held device. Using one or more of aural, visual and tactile outputs, the striking of the object is simulated in accordance with the determined moment of simulated striking and the determined magnitude of the simulated striking.
US08814639B1

A fan system for a variable air volume heating and/or air conditioning unit comprising a fan array with a control system to eliminate surge at low operating flows and to maximize operating range. The fan control system includes a fan pressure sensor for determining the pressure rise across the fan array and a fan airflow sensor for determining the total airflow generated by the fan array. A surge controller is programmed to constantly monitor the calculated surge pressure as the fan speed control is modulating the fan speed in response to user demands. As airflow increases or decreases in response to changes in fan speed, so will the calculated surge pressure. The surge control turn fans on and off to ensure that the operating fans are running in their optimum fan speed ranges. Thus, the fans in the fan array are prevented from reaching the surge point.
US08814634B2

This invention provides a conveying apparatus and a blasting machine equipped with the conveying apparatus that can prevent workpieces from being damaged by the used abrasives attached to the conveying rollers.For the conveying apparatus, a peripheral part 33a disposed at the peripheral surface of a rolling member 33 of a rolling roller 31 is made of a softer elastic material than the material of the panel P, wherein when used abrasives get stuck between the peripheral part 33a of the rolling member 33 and the panel P, since the peripheral part 33a acts as a cushioning material that can reduce the force caused by the used abrasives and loaded on the panel P, even if the panel P is made of a fragile material, such as glass, the panel P can be conveyed without flaws being caused by the used abrasives.
US08814631B2

A method of polishing includes polishing a substrate, receiving an identification of a selected spectral feature to monitor during polishing, measuring a sequence of spectra of light reflected from the substrate while the substrate is being polished, determining a location value and an associated intensity value of the selected spectral feature for each of the spectra in the sequence of spectra to generate a sequence of coordinates, and determining at least one of a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing rate based on the sequence of coordinates. At least some of the spectra of the sequence differ due to material being removed during the polishing, and the coordinates are pairs of location values and associated intensity values.
US08814620B2

Operation to produce an intermediate product for a crucible for a LUWPL is as follows: a) a body 2 is preheated and placed on a support, with its bore concentric with a tube 4 supported in a chuck and connected to a inflation means; b) the tube is heated with the chuck being rotated for evenness of heating; c) when the temperature of the tube is detected to be the softening point of the quartz of the tube, its rotation is stopped and it is advanced into a bore 3 in the body 2; d) advance is stopped when the distal, sealed end is detected to have reached a determined protrusion 18; e) simultaneously with the advance being stopped, inflation gas is admitted into the tube, to inflate it albeit it marginally, and bring its outer surface 5 into intimate contact with the surface 6 of the bore 4.
US08814614B2

A marine vessel propulsion device includes a propeller rotatable around a propeller axis, a duct that surrounds the propeller around the propeller axis, an internal combustion engine that rotates the propeller relative the duct, and an electric motor that rotates the propeller relative to the duct. The propeller includes a plurality of blades, and a cylindrical rim that surrounds the plurality of blades around the propeller axis. The electric motor rotates the propeller by rotating the rim.
US08814597B2

The present invention relates to an electrical plug contact, comprising—a line having an insulating section, a fastening section, and a contacting section,—a line shield that at least partially encloses the line,—a connector that electrically contacts the line at the end of the line in the contacting section,—an insulating retainer, which locks with the connector and which is arranged in the contacting and fastening sections, for insulating the connector from an electrically conductive housing, and—a secondary locking sleeve that at least partially surrounds the line in the fastening section and that can be fastened to the line, wherein shielding transfer means are provided in order to transfer the shielding from the line shield to the housing.
US08814593B2

Connecting element for data lines with a body with a receiving section with recesses for receiving wires of the data lines, whereby electrical conductors are disposed on the body, whereby the conductors are guided from the recesses to a contact area, whereby the electronic circuit is connected with the conductors, whereby the element is made of molded material.
US08814587B2

An assembly mounted to a surface, the assembly includes a component; and a plurality of fingers connected to the component and in contact with the surface to provide a low impedance path between the component and the surface.
US08814586B2

A connector that includes a male terminal which has a conductive property and a tip portion of which is formed in a bar shape, and includes a coil spring formed of a conductive wire rod with an inner diameter smaller than a diameter of the tip portion of the male terminal and that linearly extends at an end portion at which the male terminal is inserted. The male terminal is inserted into the coil spring while a force that expands an inner diameter of at least a vicinity of the end portion is applied to an extending portion, and thereafter fitted to the coil spring by releasing the force.
US08814584B2

A wet-mateable electrical connector comprises a vertically movable female connector unit 52 locatable over a vertically fixed male connector unit 50. The female connector unit 52 defines a chamber 62 containing a gas to exclude water and the like therefrom and having a closed upper end and an open lower end for receiving an upper end of the male connector unit 50. An insulating sheath 6 is locatable within the upper end of the female connector unit 52 to move it from a first position that protects a first electrical contactor 4 provided on the upper end of the male connector unit 50 to a second position that exposes the first electrical contactor 4. The upper end of the female connector unit 52 houses a second electrical contactor 3 which is engageable with the first electrical contactor 4 upon movement of the insulating sheath 6 from the first position to the second position.
US08814577B2

An electric connecting structure between a substrate and an electric component includes a substrate mounted in a case, an electric component assembled to a member which the case is mounted, a bus bar fixed to the case and connected to an electric circuit on the substrate at its one end and a spring disposed in compressed state between the bus bar and an electrode formed on the electric component. The substrate is electrical lyconnected to the electric component through the bus bar and the spring and a held portion formed on the spring is held by a spring holding portion integrally formed on the bus bar.
US08814575B2

Apparatus, systems and methods for forming a connector assembly that includes hoops and hooks designed to engage each other are disclosed. According to one aspect, a connector assembly includes a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate includes a plurality of hooks arranged in a hook area. The hooks include at least one hook that is arranged to form an electrical contact. The second substrate includes a plurality of hoops arranged in a hoop area. The hoops include at least one hoop that is arranged to form the electrical contact. The hook interfaces with the hoop to form the electrical contact.
US08814565B1

This invention provides the safe elevation of the Schneiderian membrane for the tissue regeneration especially bone augmentation for dental implant before surgical placement of the dental implants in the grown maxillary jaw bone in order to obtain adequate volume of osseous structure by addition of the artificial bone draft material. A surgical device can include a main portion, a handle portion, a main element, an adjustment mechanism, an adjustment portion, an outer thread, a free end, a depth measurement marks, the first and second connection sections, a cylinder, the inner and outer threads, the first and second projections, and a handle element with a texture.
US08814557B2

An apparatus for casting material has a die for receiving a compressive force, the die having a shaped-opening for receiving a die insert. The die insert has an exterior shape that is adapted to cooperate with and be received in the opening such that compressive forces impinging upon the die are focused upon the die insert such that tensile forces within the die and impinging upon the die insert are minimized.
US08814543B2

The invention relates to a conveying device for conveying a fluid in a conveying direction having one or more drive bodies which can be driven in an oscillating manner by means of a drive system transversely to the conveying direction. An acceleration of the fluid is achieved by a corresponding movement in translation or by a partially pivoting movement of the drive bodies in the manner of the fin principle known from biology (e.g. aerodynamics and hydrodynamics).
US08814538B2

A turbocharger using a high speed rolling element bearing system is improved in desired speed and life by providing an insulating spacer, with a thermal conductivity lower than that of the material in the inner race of the REB, between the turbine-end of the inner race of the bearing system and the compressor-end face of the piston ring boss to impede the flow of heat from the turbine wheel to the inner race of the rolling element bearing.
US08814536B2

Embodiments of the invention provide a system, method and computer program product for reducing the hold-up volume of a pump. More particularly, embodiments of the invention can determine, prior to dispensing a fluid, a position for a diaphragm in a chamber to reduce a hold-up volume at a dispense pump and/or a feed pump. This variable home position of the diaphragm can be determined based on a set of factors affecting a dispense operation. Example factors may include a dispense volume and an error volume. The home position for the diaphragm can be selected such that the volume of the chamber at the dispense pump and/or feed pump contains sufficient fluid to perform the various steps of a dispense cycle while minimizing the hold-up volume. Additionally, the home position of the diaphragm can be selected to optimize the effective range of positive displacement.
US08814535B2

An air compressor assembly can include a support structure with a compressor mechanism, at least one fluid tank, a pair of wheels, and a handle attached thereto. The air compressor assembly can be configured with the compressor mechanism having a perpendicular orientation relative to the at least one fluid tank so as to provide a relatively narrow assembly and to facilitate servicing and/or maintenance of the assembly. Furthermore, the wheels and handle can be configured so that the assembly can be relatively easily located in a balanced transport position. Additionally, an accessory support plate can be attached to the top of the assembly to serve as a dolly.
US08814528B2

A production method enables use of ultrasonic forming but does not leave a bonding face in a final product.One cuts into a plate member having a first side face and a second side face from the first side face toward the second side face to form a slit that does not reach the second side face; seals lips of the slit to leave an opening; causes superplastic forming of the plate member by pressurizing the plate member in a mold with gas through the opening; and cuts out a portion including the sealed lips.
US08814527B2

An airfoil assembly includes an airfoil body extending between a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side, and a pressure side. A first sheath having an outer side and an inner side forms a cavity for receiving at least a portion of the airfoil body and is bonded on the inner side to the leading edge of the airfoil body. The first sheath is formed of a titanium-based metallic material. A second sheath is bonded to the outer side of the first sheath.
US08814514B2

A fiber optic sensor is embedded in an integral housing block formed by molding or extrusion. The housing block has a mounting surface for attachment to a wind turbine component by adhesive or mechanical connection. In an arrangement where the sensor is to be isolated from strains on the component, the housing block may be mounted on the component by means of a smaller mounting portion, joining the mounting portion at a neck region.
US08814507B1

A triple hook ring segment including forward, midsection and aft mounting hooks for engagement with respective hangers formed on a ring segment carrier for supporting a ring segment panel, and defining a forward high pressure chamber and an aft low pressure chamber on opposing sides of the midsection mounting hook. An isolation plate is provided on the aft side of the midsection mounting hook to form an isolation chamber between the aft low pressure chamber and the ring segment panel. High pressure air is supplied to the forward chamber and flows to the isolation chamber through crossover passages in the midsection hook. The isolation chamber provides convection cooling air to an aft portion of the ring segment panel and enables a reduction of air pressure in the aft low pressure chamber to reduce leakage flow of cooling air from the ring segment.
US08814505B2

A mechanical arrangement for an engine having two propeller stages, including: a first epicyclic gear stage including a sun gear, a planet gear, a planet carrier and an annulus, wherein the sun gear is driven by a shaft of the engine, the planet carrier is stationary and thereby permits static structure to be located there through, and the annulus outputs torque and/or drive; a second epicyclic gear stage including a second sun gear, a second planet gear, a second planet carrier and a second annulus, wherein the second sun gear is driven by the annulus of the first epicyclic gear stage and is annular to accommodate the static structure, the second planet carrier includes the output to one of the propeller stages and the second annulus includes the output to the other of the propeller stages; wherein the static structure provides mounting for static components on one or both sides of each epicyclic gear stage.
US08814504B2

A fan brake for a fan system. The fan system may include a fan assembly configured for seating into a cassette housing. The fan assembly may include a fan having a plurality of blades connected with a fan hub. The fan brake may be connected to the fan assembly, wherein the fan brake engages the fan hub when the fan housing is not fully seated within the cassette housing, and the fan brake disengages the fan hub when the fan assembly is fully seated into the cassette housing.
US08814500B1

A film cooling hole for a turbine airfoil, the film hole having a metering inlet section followed by a diffusion section that has two sidewalls with a sinusoidal shape and with the upstream and downstream walls forming zero diffusion so that a thin slot is formed on the film hole opening. The film hole can be straight or curved in a direction of the film injection.
US08814496B2

A device is provided for reducing the drive power requirement of a watercraft includes a fore-nozzle, wherein at least one outer fin projects outwards from the fore-nozzle.
US08814495B1

A wind blade device for rotating a wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine generates wind-generated electric power in residential, business, industrial, and electric utility applications. The wind blade device comprises a drive shaft mountable to the wind turbine. A first wing extends from one side of the drive shaft and a second wing extends from an opposite side of the drive shaft. At least a portion of the first wing distant from the drive shaft is curved in a first direction and at least a portion of the second wing distant from the drive shaft is curved in a second direction. The first wing and the second wing maximize surface area to the wind and receive the wind from any direction.
US08814492B2

A method for loading a pallet, including placing packages in layers on a first pallet disposed in a first pallet disposed in a first plane, providing a second pallet above the packed first pallet in a second plane, and transporting the packed first pallet away. Also, a method for unloading for unloading a pallet, including removing packages, particularly bottle crates, in layers from a first pallet disposed in a first plane, providing a second packed pallet below the first pallet in a second plane, and transporting the first pallet away. Also, a corresponding palletizer for loading or unloading a pallet in layers.
US08814491B2

The present application relates to techniques and equipment for transporting and inverting material, such as a mail item, and exchanging the lead and trail edge of the material along a transport feed path. The equipment conveys material to a holding mechanism that rotates to a suitable angle to the transport feed path and within the plane of the flat material. The direction of the material is reversed while contained in the holding mechanism. The holding mechanism is rotated to turning over the material, e.g., face-up to face-down, and exchanges the lead and trail edges with respect to the feed path.
US08814490B2

An article storage facility is provided, which can reduce required space for installation in the rack fore and aft direction while preventing the configuration to become more complex. An article storage rack 2 having a plurality of storage units 1 arranged in a vertical direction and in a lateral direction, and an article transport device 4 which can transport articles 3 to each storage unit 1 in the article storage rack 2 are provided. The article transport device 4 consists of a movable body 12 movable in the rack lateral width direction of the article storage rack 2, a vertical movement guiding mast 13 movable in the rack fore and aft direction of the article storage rack 2 with respect to the movable body 12, and an article support 14 which is movable to a projected position for article transfer for the storage unit 1 and to a pulled back position away from the storage unit 1 by a movement of the vertical movement guiding mast 13 in the rack fore and aft direction and which is guided and supported by the vertical movement guiding mast 13 for vertical movement.
US08814486B1

A lubricated screw device lubricates threads as a threaded shaft is screwed into an object. The device includes a screw having a head and a shaft extending from the head. Threading is on the shaft. The threading extends from a distal end of the shaft towards the head. A frangible liner has a perimeter edge. The perimeter edge is coupled to the shaft. The liner forms a pouch around the distal end of the shaft. A lubricant is positioned in the pouch wherein the lubricant is configured to be dispensed from the pouch onto the threading as the shaft is screwed into a structure.
US08814478B2

The invention relates to a tool for turning/turn broaching or external milling of work pieces rotating about longitudinal axes during machining, comprising a disc-shaped tool support having cassettes (20) disposed peripherally thereon, each of said cassettes containing a cutting insert (12, 13, 14), said cassettes being fastenable to a circular, partially circular or segmented removable support (11) that is fastened either directly to a machine spindle or indirectly to a machine spindle by way of an adapter. According to the invention, the cassette (20) comprises a plate seat with a seating surface (21) and two lateral surfaces (22, 23) as contact surfaces for the cutting insert (12, 13, 14) and can be radially adjusted by way of an adjustment member (27) and can be fastened by way of a clamping member (18); the cassette (20) further comprises a slit-shaped groove (30) parallel to the seating surface (21) for the cutting insert (12, 13, 14), said groove having opposing groove walls with a distance and angle with respect to one another that are adjustable by way of an adjustment screw (33) such that the angular position of the seating surface (20) can be changed.
US08814476B2

The present invention concerns a method, a system, the use of the system and a reinforcement member for the direct detection of the presence of a cavity in a drill-hole intended for the reception of a reinforcement member. The method comprises the injection of a drill-hole with hardening grout 6, the introduction of a reinforcement member 7, 40 to introduce a pressurized medium 37 and the measurement of the change in pressure or the detection of a flow of medium, whereby the fall in pressure or the presence of a flow of medium indicates the presence of a cavity. The system comprises a container 26 comprising a pressurised medium 37, a reinforcement member 7, 40 comprising a channel 15, 41 through which the pressurised medium in the container is added to the drill-hole at the presence of a cavity, and a pressure gauge 27 or a flow meter 50, where the pressure gauge measures a change in pressure or the flow meter detects a flow of medium, whereby a fall in pressure or a flow of medium indicates the presence of a cavity. The invention is used during the construction of tunnels and mines in order to ensure the quality of rock reinforcement that has been carried out.
US08814473B2

A pipe system comprising a pipe comprising an exterior of the system, the pipe comprising an inner pipe wall; a hydrophobic layer interior to the inner pipe wall; and a liquid interior to the hydrophobic layer and interior to the inner pipe wall, the liquid comprising water and one or more hydrocarbons.
US08814458B2

A ring mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages includes a housing and ring members for holding loose-leaf pages that are moveable relative to the housing between an open and closed position. An actuation system moves the ring members and includes hinge plates pivotally mounted on the housing and an actuator actuating pivoting movement of the hinge plates. A travel bar of the actuation system is moveable by the actuator between a locked position blocking pivoting movement of the hinge plates and an unlocked position allowing pivoting movement of the hinge plates. The actuation system is adapted to deform while moving the travel bar from the locked position toward the unlocked position to delay the pivoting motion of the hinge plates from the movement of the actuator.
US08814448B2

Even if a plurality of CPU boards are installed, removal of the boards is facilitated. A plurality of CPU boards are disposed on the inner side of the left side face of a photographing lens device cover, which has an opening and the shape of a hollow rectangular parallelepiped. When a lens device body is accommodated inside the photographing lens device cover, connectors formed on the photographing lens device cover are connected to respective ones of connectors formed on the lens device body. Communication between the CPU boards and the lens device body becomes possible. Since the CPU boards are disposed on the cover and not on the lens device body, the boards can be removed without disassembling the lens device body.
US08814445B2

An optical-fiber connection apparatus and method for connection of an optical-fiber cable having a plurality of optical fibers to a transmit/receive unit having a plurality of interface transceivers. Some embodiments include a housing having a base portion and a latch actuator, an optical-fiber cable connection that holds the optical-fiber cable to the housing, a plurality of optical-fiber termination interfaces coupled to the housing, and a lever mechanism that is coupled to the base portion and to the latch actuator, and that moves the latch actuator relative to the base portion, wherein the lever mechanism operates to latch the optical-fiber connection apparatus to the transmit/receive unit such that the plurality of the optical-fiber termination interfaces couples light signals between the plurality of optical fibers and the plurality of interface transceivers of the transmit/receive unit.
US08814438B2

A rolling bearing cage includes: multiple rod members each of which is provided between adjacent two of multiple rolling elements that are arranged in a circumferential direction of a rolling bearing; and multiple coupling members each of which couples corresponding two of the rod members, which are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. Each of the coupling members is configured to be pivotable about an axis of a corresponding one of the rod members, which is connected to the coupling member, the axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the rod member, such that a relative angle between corresponding two of the coupling members, which are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, is adjustable.
US08814436B2

The present invention relates to a spacer device for roller elements in a toroidal roller bearing, and a method for manufacturing a toroidal roller bearing comprising a plurality of spacer devices. The toroidal roller bearing allows for axial and angular displacement between an inner and outer bearing ring. The spacer device provides first and second roller-contacting surfaces having a concave shape adapted to conform with respective convex contacting surfaces of the toroidal roller elements, and at least one axial end portion which is elastically deformable.
US08814426B2

An infrared sensor comprises: an electrical insulating film sheet; first and second temperature sensor devices which are provided on one side of the electrical insulating film sheet, and are located at a distance from each other; a pair of contact electrodes, with which the first and second temperature sensor devices are attached respectively, formed on one side of the electrical insulating film sheet; an infrared absorbing film provided on the other side of the electrical insulating film sheet opposite the first temperature sensor device; and an infrared reflector film provided on the same side as the infrared absorbing film opposite the second temperature sensor device. The first and second temperature sensor devices respectively comprise: a thermistor element; and a pair of electrode layers, in which one of them is in contact with the contact electrode, formed both on the upper and lower surfaces of the thermistor element.
US08814417B2

Disclosed is a backlight unit and a display device using the same, which includes a first reflector, a second reflector 300 and at least one light source module 100 disposed between the first and second reflectors, wherein a back surface of the first reflector comprises an inclined plane 201 and a flat surface 202, with facing the second reflector, and the inclined plane is adjacent to the light source and the flat surface is extended from an end of the inclined plane, with the inclined plane and the flat surface being collinear.
US08814415B2

A light-emitting module includes a light guide plate and a light source unit in accordance with an embodiment. The light guide plate include an upper surface, a lower surface facing the upper surface, a plurality of side surfaces connecting the upper surface and the lower surface, and a cross-sectional surface connected to at least one of the side surfaces. The light source unit includes a substrate disposed in correspondence with the cross-sectional surface and a point light source mounted on the substrate to emit light to the cross-sectional surface. Thus, light-emitting efficiency may be enhanced and the arrangement of point light sources may be optimized, so that a required amount of emitted light may be obtained using a small number of the point light sources. In addition, uniformity of luminance and heat-radiating efficiency may also be enhanced.
US08814402B2

A control device (100) for controlling a vehicle lamp (210) provided in a vehicle is provided. The device includes: a receiver (102) configured to receive an acceleration signal representing an acceleration of the vehicle, from an acceleration sensor configured to detect the acceleration of the vehicle, wherein an inclination angle (θ) of the vehicle with respect to a horizontal plane is calculated based on the acceleration signal; a controller (104) configured to: i) generate a first control signal instructing the vehicle lamp to adjust an optical axis of the vehicle lamp in response to a change of the acceleration signal, when the vehicle has already stopped; and ii) generate a second signal instructing the vehicle lamp to maintain the optical axis of the vehicle lamp, when the vehicle is traveling on a road surface.
US08814400B2

A fixture having a cylindrical body, said body having an internal cavity extending from a first end to a second end, and said body having an exterior threaded portion, a flange affixed to the first end of the body, a portion of said flange extending past the circumference of the cylindrical body, said flange formed for receiving an electrical component, and a fastener complementary to the threaded portion, wherein the fastener and the flange are operable to secure the cylindrical body to a structure. An electrical component such as a luminaire, a switch or an electrical receptacle may be mounted into the flange portion of the fixture. A retainer may also be employed to distribute the load on the cylindrical body when positioned over the body and secured by the fastener.
US08814396B2

A lighting apparatus according to an embodiment includes an optical unit and a body. The Optical unit includes a light emitting module that has a light emitting element, a reflector that controls distribution of light from the light emitting module, and a unit supporting member that supports the light emitting module and the reflector. A plurality of optical units are mounted to the apparatus body such that each optical unit is detachable. And the body includes an irradiating portion that has an opening through which the optical units irradiate light.
US08814392B1

A hybrid lens for a solid state light source device is provided. The hybrid lens includes a first component and a second component. The first component has a first side and a second side oppositely disposed thereto. The first side is positioned facing a solid state light source. The second component is attached to the first side of the first component. The first component includes a flame retardant material, such as a glass or a filled polymer. The second component includes a non-flame retardant material, such as an unfilled polymer.
US08814390B1

A LED based lighting apparatus comprising a low cost stamped frame comprising structural elements, LED attach region at a predetermined tilt angle and heat sink region enabling a lamp with uniform lighting distribution is disclosed.
US08814378B2

An LED package structure is disclosed, which comprises an LED chip and a frame for receiving the LED chip, and the frame comprises a bottom wall, a first sidewall and a light exiting wall. The LED chip is disposed on the bottom wall, the first sidewall is obliquely disposed in a light exiting direction of the LED chip, and light rays emitted from the LED chip are reflected by the first sidewall and then exit from the light exiting wall. An LCD device is further disclosed. According to the LCD device and the LED package structure thereof of the present disclosure, light rays emitted from the LED chip are reflected by the first sidewall and then exit from the light exiting wall. This can increase the light mixing distance for the LED chip and avoid occurrence of light emission blind areas, thus eliminating the hot spot phenomenon.
US08814373B2

An interior rearview device support assembly having a support member including a connecting end and a pivot end. A rearview device housing defines an internal cavity and includes a socket. The pivot end of the support member is coupled with the socket and is pivotable relative thereto. A sensor device is disposed inside the rearview device housing and is coupled to the support member.
US08814368B2

An objective for a camera defines an axis and includes an inner objective element and an outer objective element at least partially surrounding the inner objective element. The inner objective element and the outer objective element conjointly define an interface and are mounted so as to be rotatable relative to each other about the axis. A sealing system is disposed at the interface between the inner objective element and the outer objective element and the sealing system includes a plastic foil in contact engagement with the inner objective element and the outer objective element.
US08814355B2

System and methods for testing and/or training a subject's visual ability are provided. More specifically, the method may include testing various aspects of the subject's visual acuity, such as clarity, contrast, tracking, etc. By using various tests, a more efficient examination may be administered. In accordance with the invention, an individual may be tested using methods of testing and/or training at a unitary center, where the unitary center is capable of presenting visual tests to the individual, receiving input from the individual, and processing the received input. Such a unitary test center may further be configurable, so that the tests administered may vary based on the needs of the individual. The received input may then, for example, be used to compute data related to the user's visual acuity, both overall and for each individual test.
US08814348B2

A conveyance apparatus has a first conveyance path along which a printing medium is conveyed, a first discharge port, and a second conveyance path which causes reversal of the conveyance direction of the printing medium partially exposed from the discharge port and feeds the printing medium to the first conveyance path again. The apparatus further includes an estimation unit which estimates an amount of exposure of the printing medium at the discharge port, a decision unit which, when jamming of the printing medium occurs, determines a printing-medium removal method in accordance with the amount of exposure estimated, and an output unit which outputs the determined removal method.
US08814346B2

A multi-phase system for creating a metallic effect on a substrate, including applying to the substrate a first ink jet ink including a dispersion of reflective metallic particles in a suitable carrier system, to form a reflective coating layer; and applying a second ink jet ink over the reflective coating layer to form a protective coating layer. Optionally, an undercoat layer is printed on the substrate prior to applying the first ink jet ink. The second ink jet includes at least one crosslinkable polymer or is otherwise energy curable. The second ink jet ink optionally imparts a color to the metallic image.
US08814332B2

A printing device includes a printing material container, a controller and a voltage applying unit. The printing material container has a storage device, a plurality of terminals for the storage device, and first and second attachment detection terminals. The storage device stores information of the amount of a printing material. The controller is connected to the plurality of terminals for the storage device and controls reading or writing of data from or in the storage device. The voltage applying unit applies a voltage for detection of attachment to the first attachment detection terminal. When the voltage applying unit applies the voltage for the detection of the attachment to the first attachment detection terminal, the controller sets the terminals for the storage device to a high impedance state.
US08814330B2

Systems and methods for detection of the directivity of trajectories of charged drops issuing from a jet are disclosed. According to one aspect, an electrostatic sensor is disclosed which includes a flat functional surface. The electrostatic sensor is configured to function in a non-differential manner and has a geometric shape and arrangement that are substantially aligned relative to a nominal trajectory of drops. A trajectory of drops can be followed at the same time in a plane parallel to the flat surface of the sensor and in a plane perpendicular to the flat surface of the sensor. As a result, it can be verified whether a drop is present or remains in a predefined monitoring zone. According to another aspect, a method of controlling trajectories of drops in a print head having a continuous deflected jet, and a method of monitoring the effective recovery by the gutter of drops not intended for printing are disclose.
US08814324B2

A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a head unit which includes a liquid jetting head which jets liquid and a liquid storage tank in which the liquid to be supplied to the liquid jetting head is stored; a guide member which extends in a first direction; a carriage which has a connection portion, carries the head unit, and is supported by the guide member to be movable in the first direction; and a movement mechanism which is connected to the connection portion of the carriage to move the carriage in the first direction, and the liquid jetting head and the liquid storage tank are arranged to sandwich the connection portion of the carriage therebetween.
US08814322B2

An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head that includes a discharge port face on which a plurality of discharge ports for discharging ink is formed, a cap configured to cap the discharge port face, a suction recovery unit configured to suck ink from the recording head via the cap, and a control unit configured to control the suction recovery unit so that a suction amount changes based on elapsed time from when the discharge port face is capped by the cap, in a state where ink discharged from the recording head is present, wherein the control unit controls the suction recovery unit so that the suction amount decreases as the elapsed time increases when the elapsed times does not exceed a first time.
US08814318B2

Pre-treatment composition and printing method, for producing durable images, using it are disclosed. Said pre-treatment composition includes a liquid vehicle, a polyvalent metal salt as fixing agent, and a latex resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from −22° C. to 20° C. Said method encompasses applying the pre-treatment composition onto a recording medium and applying an ink composition including an aqueous liquid vehicle and a colorant, over said pre-treatment composition, wherein the time interval between the finishing point of the application of the pre-treatment composition and between the starting point of the application of the ink composition is between 1 and 30 seconds.
US08814314B2

An inkjet printer is configured to process print media having an ink image differently to alter a gloss level of the ink image on the print media. In one mode of operation, the printer moves print media bearing an ink image on one side only through a transfix nip a second time to reduce a gloss level of the printed image.
US08814310B2

A printer includes a head for performing printing, a roll element on which a print medium is wound, a first conveying mechanism for rotating the roll element, an auxiliary roller positioned between the head and the roll, a second conveying mechanism for driving the auxiliary roller, a nip roller constituting a pair with the auxiliary roller to hold the medium on both sides, a nip roller drive mechanism for driving the nip roller and creating a state in which the medium is held on both sides and a state in which the medium is not held on both sides, and a controller for setting the nip roller to a first state in which the roll element is rotated in a forward direction to convey the print medium, and a second state in which the roll element is rotated in a reverse direction to convey the print medium.
US08814308B2

Ink droplets are ejected from a plurality of dot forming elements arranged along an array direction to form dots of at least two sizes on a recording medium. If the dots formed along the array direction are classified into a plurality of groups depending on a plurality of times, the existing ratio of dots of a smaller one of the at least two sizes is higher for one of the groups of an earlier time of the times.
US08814298B2

A semiconductor device includes a first conductivity type well region formed by counter doping; a transistor having source and drain regions having a second conductivity type, at least one of the regions being arranged in the well region; a LOCOS region arranged around the at least one region in the well region; and a channel stop region having the first conductivity type arranged under the LOCOS region. The at least one region is arranged at a distance from a tip of a bird's beak of the LOCOS in a direction parallel to a channel width of the transistor. The channel stop region is arranged at a distance from the tip of the bird's beak at an opposite side to the at least one region.
US08814289B2

A print apparatus includes a selection unit, a print unit and control unit. The selection unit categorizes a curve-shape of a print target surface into one specific shape pattern among a plurality of shape patterns having shapes whose degrees of curving are different from each other. The print unit has a recording head that applies ink on the print target surface. The control unit controls the print unit to set an ink amount to be applied at the edge parts of the print target surface to predetermined amount which is set corresponding to the specific shape pattern.
US08814280B2

A hydraulic brake system includes a body with cavities, a vacuum brake booster port, a first caliber port and a channel system defined therein. An accumulator is located in a first one of the cavities. A first proportional solenoid valve is located in a second one of the cavities. A traction control valve is located in a third one of the cavities. The channel system is connected to the accumulator, the first proportional solenoid valve and the traction control valve via the first, second and third cavities. The channel system is further connected to the vacuum brake booster port and the first caliber port. The vacuum brake booster port, the accumulator, the first proportional solenoid valve, the traction control valve and the channel system are used together to control brake fluid to exert a first baking force on the first caliber port.
US08814274B2

A machine and method are disclosed for deconstructing walls and other substantially vertical surfaces. The machine comprises a static, stand-alone support-frame. A carriage is movably mounted on the support-frame, which carriage can be raised and lowered along the support-frame. The carriage includes a carrier-bar, which may be straight or curved. One or more nozzles are mounted to the carrier-bar by means of a nozzle carrier that moves back and forth along the length of the carrier-bar. The nozzles are connected to a high-pressure supply of an erosive material, preferably water. The erosive material, when forced through the nozzles, form jet streams that are directed against the surface of the workface, thereby eroding the surface. Optionally, the invention comprises means of yawing and rotating the nozzles, and means of adjusting the nozzles towards or away from the workface. Optionally, the invention comprises a work platform mounted on the support-frame.
US08814269B2

A vehicle seat is provided. The vehicle seat includes a back frame, and a bracket assembled to the back frame and configured to reduce a load applied to a neck of an occupant by shock of a rear collision when the rear collision occurs in a vehicle, wherein the bracket has an inclined surface that is substantially parallel with a torso line at a normal posture of a seatback.
US08814267B2

Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to securing a trim cover to a vehicle seat cushion. In at least one embodiment, a seat cushion assembly comprises a foam cushion having an “A” surface, a “B” surface, and at least one slot extending therebetween, a trim cover extending over the foam cushion, and a trim cover attachment assembly secured to the trim cover for securing the trim cover adjacent the foam cushion. In at least one embodiment, the trim cover attachment assembly comprises a flexible sheet having a first end attached to the trim cover and a second end having a paddle that sits adjacent the “B” surface of the foam cushion, the fabric extending through the slot of the foam cushion.
US08814265B2

A headrest for a vehicle seat has a first section that is oriented towards the head of a seat occupant, a second section, and a third section. The second section is arranged between the first and third sections. In the event of an accident, the first section may be displaced, due to the relative displacement of the second section, from a working position into a safety position and a comfort position in the direction of the head of the occupant. The relative movement of the sections is a rotation about a rotational axis substantially parallel to the direction of displacement.
US08814263B2

A snack holder includes a generally cylindrical cup sized and shaped lower section and a larger container or multiple container upper or adjacent section for holding snack foods, additional cups and the like.
US08814254B1

A cap that is adapted to be selectively inserted into one or more receiver openings (e.g., receiver openings for gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitch assemblies) in a vehicle bed (e.g., pickup truck bed) and selectively secured to the bed to limit or inhibit the introduction of moisture, debris, or other elements into the receiver opening while facilitating the movement of objects (e.g., equipment, boxes) across the bed liner.
US08814251B2

Under covers for a vehicle body are attached to a lower surface of the vehicle body in such a manner that, as seen in a direction of travel of a vehicle, the under covers are arranged at positions in front of rear wheels and in at least a rear half of a lower surface of the vehicle body. Recessed grooves are formed in pairs in a surface of an under cover body that faces a road surface, and are arranged so as face each other across a widthwise center of the vehicle, and gradually approach closer to each other as they extend rearward in the direction of travel of the vehicle. Rear ends of these grooves are located between the left and right rear wheels and are directed to the widthwise center of the vehicle.
US08814250B2

In an automobile front portion structure, a dilatant impact absorbing body that is formed from a material having dilatant characteristics is accommodated at an inner side of a crash box and is fixed to a front end surface of a front side member. A length dimension in a vehicle longitudinal direction of this dilatant impact absorbing body is set such that, when an axial compressive deformation amount of the crash box becomes greater than or equal to a set value that is smaller than a maximum value of the axial compressive deformation amount, the dilatant impact absorbing body receives compressive load between the front side member and a front bumper reinforcement.
US08814245B1

A multi-tier vehicular storage system comprises a medial platform operable between lower and upper positions. A rear seat is configured to horizontally receive the medial platform in the upper position. A bottom bin is disposed below and behind the rear seat and at least partially covered by the medial platform in the lower position. An upper bin coupled with the rear seat and rotationally operable between stowed and accessible positions.
US08814233B2

A safety switch for generating a system enable signal depending on the position of a movable guard door which is used for safeguarding a hazardous area of a machine installation. At least one part of the machine installation can only be operated when the system enable signal is present. The safety switch has a door part to be fastened to the movable guard door and a frame part to be fastened to a mating door piece. The safety switch also has a bolt which can be moved between a first position and a second position, a recess in which the bolt can engage in the second position, and a locking element designed to block the bolt in the second position. In addition, the safety switch comprises a first position sensor designed to clearly detect at least one of the positions of the bolt in order to generate the system enable signal. Moreover, the safety switch comprises a door release request unit configured to generate a door release request signal in addition to the system enable signal.
US08814231B2

A force adjustment system that inhibits door handle actuation is provided. The force adjustment system includes a sensor configured to provide a signal in response to an input. An energy source is configured to provide an output in response to the signal. A force adjustment component is configured to be linked to a door handle assembly. The force adjustment component comprises a material having a property that is changed in response to the output provided by the energy source to change a force applied to a handle of the door handle assembly.
US08814230B2

Disclosed is a doorstop assembly which allows a doorstop to be conveniently installed or removed from left or right swinging doors of varying thicknesses. The assembly has a portable door clip which may be easily pulled off a left swing door, turned upside down, and then pushed into place onto a right swing door. The portable door clip can firmly embrace doors of varying thickness. A dual lock leg mounted to the front of the door clip can be stowed in an upward position regardless of which way the door clip is turned, and then lowered toward the floor surface when in use to stop the door from closing.
US08814227B2

A latch secures an element such as a motor-vehicle headrest for movement relative to a support between a rest position and an advanced position. A pivotal lever can hold the element in the rest position. A spring pushes the element into the advanced position and presses it against the lever so as to apply a torque to the lever that presses a latch formation on the lever against a retractile latch part of an actuator. If the actuator retracts the part, the lever is released and the lever can pivot to allow the spring to move the element into the advanced position.
US08814219B2

A disconnection tool for disconnecting pipes which are connected. The disconnection tool is preferably a two piece cylinder with a leading edge and handles opposite the leading edge, and, can be positioned around a male end of a male pipe that is within a female end of a female pipe. The disconnection tool initially inserts into a clearance between the interior surface of the female end and the exterior surface of the male end while the pipes are connected. As the disconnection tool is further inserted, its leading edge contacts and disengages one or more locking members extending through the clearance thereby allowing the male pipe to be disconnected from the female pipe.
US08814213B2

A clip for mounting to a vehicle a shield plate arranged on the inside of a fender panel. The clip can be adapted to different vehicle models by changing the shield plate used with the clip. The clip comprises a shield plate insertion slot for inserting a shield plate, and two leg portions mounted in two mounting holes in a body panel. When the leg portions are inserted into the mounting holes in the body panel, conical portions on the leg portions guide the clip to the mounting position. To mount a fender shield plate, the clip has a shield plate engagement prong for engaging an engagement hole in the shield plate, and a shield plate releasing piece for releasing the shield plate engagement prong. The clip has a multi-step engagement prong for engaging the mounting holes in the body panel, and a clip releasing piece for releasing the engagement.
US08814212B2

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for controlling movement of a user on snow. The apparatus includes a support member comprising a shaft made from a rigid material, a snow interface, and an engagement member. The snow interface extends from a first end of the shaft and includes a gliding surface opposing a propulsion surface. The engagement member is coupled to one of the gliding surface and the propulsion surface of the snow interface. The snow interface is positionable between a gliding position and a slowing position. In the gliding position, the gliding surface is positioned in contact with a surface of the snow and the engagement member is positioned out of contact with the surface of the snow. In the slowing position the engagement member is positioned in contact with the surface of the snow.
US08814201B2

A knee airbag assembly is operable to restrain at least one leg of an occupant of a vehicle. The assembly includes an inflator, a housing, and an airbag that moves between a stowed state and a deployed state. The inflator is operable to selectively inflate the airbag to move the airbag from the stowed state to the deployed state. The airbag is housed within the housing in the stowed state, and the airbag extends from the housing in the deployed state. The airbag defines a package width when in the stowed state, and the airbag defines a deployed width when in the deployed state. A ratio of the package width to the deployed width is between approximately 0.8 and 1.0.
US08814200B2

An airbag device includes an airbag, an inflator, a retainer and an airbag cover. The airbag is usually folded, and expands and develops in an emergency. The inflator supplies gas to the airbag. The retainer secures the airbag and the inflator. The airbag cover houses the airbag. The airbag cover has a plate-like part and an inner case. The plate-like part constitutes the interior surface of a vehicle. The inner case is disposed on the rear surface of the plate-like part and constitutes an expansion and development path for the airbag. The inner case has a plurality of retaining holes for retaining the retainer. The retainer has a roughly planar-shaped support body capable of being stored within the inner case and an annular belt-like body inserted into the retaining holes and attached to the support body.
US08814197B2

According to the present invention, a fifth wheel hitch assembly includes a support bracket adapted to operably couple with a vehicle frame. The hitch assembly also has a hitch plate that includes a throat adapted to receive a kingpin of a trailer and a rear portion. The hitch plate is pivotably coupled with the support bracket and is pivotable between a first position and a second position. Further, the hitch assembly has a limiter linkage that includes a first end pivotably coupled with the rear portion. A second end of the limiter linkage is movable between a stowed and a deployed position. In the stowed position the second end is spaced from the vehicle frame. In the deployed position the second end of the limiter linkage is detachably coupled with the vehicle frame, thereby limiting movement of the hitch plate between the first and second positions.
US08814193B2

The present invention generally relates to a trailer for attachment to a bicycle. The trailer is designed such that when the trailer is decoupled from the bicycle, the trailer can stand without tipping over. Additionally, the coupling assembly used for coupling the trailer to the bicycle, together with the handle assembly, can collectively pivot about the trailer frame to permit the trailer to be easily maneuvered by the rider once the trailer has been decoupled from the bicycle.
US08814187B2

In a method of producing a transverse link for arrangement on a motor vehicle axle, a semifinished product is produced from an extrusion profile of light metal with at least three hollow chambers in side-by-side relationship. A top side and a bottom side of a middle one of the chambers is trimmed at ends thereof so that outer ones of the chambers form bearing arms which project beyond a base body. The middle chamber is formed with flanges which are bent and coupled with the base body. The bearing arms are bent and mounts for attachment are formed.
US08814184B2

An axle-lifting device for lifting an axle of a vehicle. The axle-lifting device includes a function mechanism for generating a force component in an axle-lifting direction. The function mechanism is configured to generate a first force component for providing a first functionality and a second force component for lifting the axle in the axle-lifting direction.
US08814183B1

Aspects of the present invention involve a steerable running stroller including a lower frame assembly supporting two rear wheels and an upper frame assembly supporting a front wheel. A self centering hinge mechanism, which may define a physical pivot axis or a virtual pivot axis, is coupled between the lower frame assembly and the upper frame assembly. The pivot axis defined by the self centering hinge mechanism is positioned at an angle, which may be an obtuse angle, such that the front wheel is normally in a straight orientation with respect to the rear wheels, and when a user imparts a turning force, the front wheel both turns and tilts relative to the rear wheels. When the turning force is removed, the self centering hinge mechanism acts to return the running stroller to a straight rolling orientation.
US08814180B1

It is connected to a lawn tractor or vehicle for towing any foldable sheet type material such as a tarp, (construction) plastic, or cloth across the ground to move large debris or material. This assembly contains multiple tubing, stabilizers, and hardware that allow a direct connection to a lawn tractor or a vehicle/ATV using a standard receiver type hitch. The sheet material is folded and then rolled onto the tarp connection tube and then attached to the tarp support tube. When towing, the clamping point gets tighter the harder you pull on it, making it a strong connection. Now the material is tightly gripped between these two tubes, which allow the use of any type of foldable sheet material for towing. This design eliminates the need to use any type of grommet load connection points within the sheet material that could be easily pulled out during heavy loads or use.
US08814179B1

A shopping cart wheel ski device facilitates movement of a shopping cart over a surface. The device includes a plate having a bottom surface. An aperture extends through the plate. Each of a pair of spaced arms is coupled to and extends upwardly from the plate. Each arm is configured for engaging a shopping cart wheel such that an outer perimeter surface of the shopping cart wheel extends through the aperture.
US08814177B1

A motorized-generator power system utilizes a constant-speed internal combustion engine to operate an electric generator. Electrical power from the generator operates an electric vehicle drive motor as well as charging a battery power pack. A drive motor controller provides control over the rotational speed of the drive motor and stored electrical energy in the battery power pack may be used to power the vehicle drive motor when the internal combustion engine is shut down. A suspension system is also provided to raise and lower the vehicle for clearance and flood-avoidance requirements.
US08814175B2

A metal seal which can be fastened by low fastening force and can show sufficient sealing ability when receiving fluid pressure. The metal seal is composed a U-shaped metal thin seal and a reinforcing outer-fit member which receives side wall portions and a bottom wall portion of the thin seal from a back side.
US08814157B2

A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet stacking unit where sheets to be processed are stacked, a regulating member, a sheet waiting unit, a first moving unit, a second moving unit, and a control unit. The regulating member abuts on one edge of sheets conveyed to the sheet stacking unit. The sheet waiting unit keeps sheets waiting, stacks the waiting sheets displaced sequentially, and then conveys the sheets to the sheet stacking unit. The first moving unit sequentially moves the conveyed sheets, starting from a lowermost sheet, to be abutted against the regulating member. The second moving unit moves the conveyed sheets to the first moving unit. The control unit controls a moving speed of the second moving unit so that a next sheet does not reach the first moving unit until the sheet moved by the first moving unit is abutted against the regulating member.
US08814156B2

A sheet processing apparatus includes a feed-in path through which a sheet is fed, a first transport path through which a sheet fed from the feed-in path is transported, and a second transport path through which a sheet fed from the feed-in path is transported. The sheet processing apparatus also includes the following elements. A first processor sequentially stacks sheets output from the first transport path and performs first processing on a bundle of stacked sheets. A second processor sequentially stacks sheets output from the second transport path and performs second processing, which is different from the first processing, on a bundle of stacked sheets. A common retention path causes a sheet fed through the feed-in path to temporarily remain on the common retention path and causes the sheet temporarily remaining on the common retention path to be output to one of the first and second transport paths.
US08814151B2

In an antivibration device (1), a partition plate (45) includes a main partition plate (46) made of an elastic material interposed between a protruding portion (60) and a support portion (54), and a reinforcement member (47) which is buried in the main partition plate (46) and is configured of a hard body that is harder than the main partition plate (46). The main partition plate (46) divides a main liquid chamber (9A) and a sub-liquid chamber (9B), and blocks the opening end of the hard member (50). A space surrounded by the hard member (50) and the main partition plate (46) constitutes a restriction passage (10). In the main partition plate (46), a communication portion (42) that penetrates therethrough in an axial direction and causes the main liquid chamber (9A) and the restriction passage (10) to communicate is formed. The reinforcement member (47) is disposed to surround the peripheral edge of the communication portion (42) in the main partition plate (46).
US08814150B2

Shock absorbers for integration into protective structures generally take the form of hollow, fluid-filled, compressible cells. In various embodiments, the cell enclosure includes one or more orifices, or vents, through which a fluid (such as air or water) can escape from the inner chamber formed by the enclosure.
US08814146B2

A two phase reactor includes a source of liquid reactant and a source of gas reactant. A chamber has an inlet coupled to the source of gas reactant and a flat jet nozzle coupled to the source of the liquid reactant.
US08814142B2

A lifting strut and stabilization system includes a lower outer tubular member in slidable engagement with an upper extendable inner tubular member, a mechanism for receiving and supporting a jack on the outer tubular member, a pin for optionally restraining the upper tubular member from further engagement into the lower tubular member, while allowing unrestrained extension of the upper tubular member from within the lower tubular member, and a removably attached jack having a bracket at its upper end incorporating a saddle or half-hole for engaging a strut lift pin located in a corresponding saddle, half-hole or flat bearing surface located on the upper end of the lower tubular member, the lift pin extending through the saddle holes in the upper tubular member, such that upon actuation of the jack, the upper jack bracket engages the lift pin and extends the upper tubular member from within the lower tubular member.
US08814137B2

A hydraulic valve coupling has an interlock mechanism that includes at least one blocking member located within an interlock passage of a body portion of the valve coupling. The interlock passage has a first end opening to the valve shaft and a second end opening to an interface groove of the valve coupling. The at least one blocking member can be retracted within the interlock passage such that the valve coupling can be rotated and disengaged from a mating coupling. When the valve is in the open position, the at least one blocking member is positioned within the interlock passage such that it contacts the mating coupling and prevents rotation of the valve coupling relative to the mating coupling. The second end of the at least one blocking member can be shaped such that it is retracted as a result of contact with the mating coupling and without the assistance of a biasing mechanism.
US08814136B2

A solenoid valve includes a linear solenoid and a ring-shaped rubber packing. The solenoid includes a yoke, an outer connector, a volume changing chamber, and a breathing passage. The yoke is made of a magnetic material and formed in a generally cylindrical cup shape having a cup-bottom part and a cup-opening part. The cup-opening part includes a notch. The connector is made of resin and exposed from the notch to an outside of the yoke. Volume of the chamber is changed in accordance with operation of the solenoid. The passage is formed inside the solenoid, and communicates with the chamber. The passage includes an outer opening, which opens into the outside of the yoke and is located at a fitted part between the yoke and the connector. The packing is attached around a base of the connector, where the yoke and the connector are fitted together.
US08814135B2

A device for controlling the flow of a liquid or gaseous medium, has at least one flow opening for the medium, and a movable valve element for controlling the flow opening. At least one damping body, which is preferably viscoelastic and acts on the valve element, is provided for obtaining a large dynamic range of the device in order to control flow in a fine, precise, and oscillation-free manner across a broad range of flow volume.
US08814131B2

A gas control unit for a boiler includes a hollow housing; a solenoid; a rod; opening and shutting means that is disposed at the lower end of the rod to open and shut a gas outlet; and a spring between the housing and the opening and shutting means so as to elastically urge it downward. A coupling member is formed at the lower end of the rod and a coupling groove into which the coupling member is inserted is formed in the opening and shutting means so as to allow movement. The opening and shutting means is coupled to the rod through the use of the coupling member and the coupling groove, the opening and shutting means can move within a predetermined range about the coupling member with an application of an external force.
US08814128B2

A display fixture for securely displaying a mobile device includes a cross brace and at least two corner members. The cross brace defines a center portion and arms each radially extending outwardly therefrom and terminating in a free end opposite the center portion. The at least two corner members each include a first substantially planar wall, a second substantially planar wall, and two sidewalls extending between substantially linear closed edges of the first substantially planar wall and the second substantially planar wall. A cavity is defined by each of the at least two corner members and is configured to receive a corner of the mobile device. Each of the at least two corner members is secured to a different free end of the cross brace such that an opening to the cavity of each of the at least two corner members faces the center portion of the cross brace.
US08814123B2

The invention relates to a seat track having a retainer arranged in a space extending in the fore-and-aft direction and the vertical direction between a lower rail and an upper rail and a lower ball and an upper ball rotatably supported on an upper portion and a lower portion of the retainer and configured to come into contact with both the lower rail and the upper rail, and is intended to provide a seat track in which vibrations in the vertical direction generated in the upper rail are reduced. There are provided a plurality of the lower balls and a plurality of the upper balls which are supported by the retainer, and a center-to-center distance between the plurality of lower balls lying next to each other is set to be different from a center-to-center distance between the plurality of upper balls lying next to each other.
US08814115B2

A mounting system for adjustably mounting a flat panel display to a support medium. The system consists of a frame assembly that can be attached to a support medium. One or more adjustable mounts are attached to the frame assembly, and a flat panel display is attached to the adjustable mounts. Each adjustable mount can extend from a retracted position to an extended position in order to tilt the flat panel display and provide an optimum viewing angle to a viewer. As the adjustable mount extends, the center of gravity of the attached flat panel display moves in approximately a horizontal plane, enabling the display to be tilted by a user with a minimum amount of applied force. In some embodiments, a friction assembly is provided to maintain the selected position of each adjustable mount.
US08814114B2

A window rod assembly includes two support arm assemblies each including a bracket, a support arm having a first end rigidly connected to the bracket, and a tube rigidly connected to a second end of the support arm; a curtain rod including a first rod section and a second rod section configured in a telescoping arrangement and sized to fit into the tubes of the support arm assemblies; a locking mechanism for securing the relative axial position of the first rod section with respect to the second rod section; and a force adjusting mechanism mounted on at least one of the support arm assemblies and configured to apply an inward force to the curtain rod at a location within the first tube and an outward force to the support arm assemblies to force the brackets into support surfaces of a window opening or window casing.
US08814113B1

A sucker includes a sucker body, a pressure sensor, a control circuit board, and a warning member. The sucker body has an attachment surface. The control circuit board and the warning member are combined with the pressure sensor. The pressure sensor, the control circuit board and the warning member are mounted in a closed receiving portion. The pressure sensor is connected to the attachment surface of the sucker body. Thus, the pressure sensor, the control circuit board and the warning member construct an early warning detection mechanism which successively detects and monitors the pressure of the attachment surface of the sucker body, and produces an early warning signal automatically by detection of the pressure differential of the attachment surface of the sucker body to prevent the sucker from being detached from an object.
US08814111B2

A portable mast capable of supporting a payload that can be fastened to and detached from an unsteady, inclined or irregular surface of attachment. The improvements include a tensioning cable which exerts pressure on the base of the mast in opposition to the surface of attachment, a guide protecting the cable from abrasion, means for adjusting and retaining tension in the cable when the mast is fastened to the surface of attachment, a base capable of housing the fastener to protect the fastener from corrosion and tampering, a base allowing attachment to and pass-through of existing cords crossing the surface of attachment, and a base having resilient compression to conform to an irregular surface of attachment while maintaining pressure between the base and surface of attachment created by tensioning of the cable. Also disclosed is a mast with mechanical means for increasing cable tension in order to secure its tripod base to a surface of attachment. Also disclosed is a mast which can house standardized electronic components required by a variety of payloads, two masts which are capable of communicating with each other to synchronize the movement and operation of payloads, means for passing electronic signals from the surface of attachment through the mast to the payload, and a remote control for electronic communication with a transceiver housed within a mast to control the operations or movement of a payload.
US08814106B2

An embodiment is a travel head support to support a traveler's head as, for example, they sleep while sitting substantially upright. By supporting the traveler's head, the travel head support of an embodiment may increase the comfort, quality, and restfulness of the traveler's sleep. In particular, by supporting the traveler's head, the travel head support of an embodiment may substantially prevent the embarrassment and/or sleep interruption of one or more hypnic jerks.
US08814099B1

A Deployable Morphing Modular Solar Array (DMMSA) for deploying Deployable Morphing Modular Solar Power Assemblies (DMMSPAs) from a spacecraft is provided. The DMMSA comprises a Root Staging and Deployment Mechanism (RSDM) mounted to a spacecraft. A plurality of petal assemblies are rotatably secured to the RSDM with each petal assembly having at least DMMSPA secured thereon and each DMMSPA having a slight V-configuration. A launch restraint assembly stacks and sandwiches the petal assemblies prior to deployment with the launch restraint assembly pre-loading each petal assembly's one or more DMMSPA into a substantially flat configuration. Upon release of the launch restraint assembly, the stacked and sandwiched petal assemblies rotate relative to the spacecraft and each petal assemblies DMMSPA elastically morphs from the substantially flat configuration into the slight V-configuration.
US08814095B2

A ceiling panel is configured for attaching a curtain in a cabin of a transportation device with an attachment unit, a mounting unit, and a curtain attachment unit. The ceiling panel is configured to integrate the attachment unit, the attachment unit is configured to attach the mounting unit to the ceiling panel, the mounting unit is configured to attach the curtain attachment unit, and the curtain attachment unit is configured to support the curtain.
US08814093B2

A cladding apparatus is provided for the interior of an aircraft that includes, but is not limited to at least one two-dimensional fabric sheet, at least one guide device, and at least one tensioning element. The guide device is configured to be attached in the interior along a direction of extension of the interior, and slidably guide the fabric sheet at least in a first section of the interior along the direction of extension. The tensioning element is, furthermore, configured to be attached in the interior, and by producing a tensile force that acts on the front edge and/or the rear edge of the fabric sheet to stretch taut the fabric sheet along the direction of extension of the interior.
US08814090B2

A cabin equipment component connection system for an aircraft comprises a plurality of connecting elements, which are adapted to be connected to a cabin equipment component in order to connect the cabin equipment component to a higher-level system of the aircraft. In at least one zone of the cabin equipment component connection system, a number and an arrangement of the connecting elements in the cabin of the aircraft are selected such that cabin equipment components that are provided in a first number and/or a first arrangement in the cabin of the aircraft are connectable to the connecting elements of the cabin equipment component connection system, and that cabin equipment components that are provided in a second number and/or a second arrangement in the cabin of the aircraft are connectable to the connecting elements of the cabin equipment component connection system.
US08814088B2

Disclosed herein is a divider providing part of a separation between sections of a passenger cabin of a commercial aircraft, the divider comprising several components. One component may be a support arm connected to the frame of an aircraft above a passenger seat, the support arm having an outer edge facing the aisle of the passenger cabin, and an inner edge which is adjacent the face of a luggage compartment when the bucket is in an open position. Another component may be a curtain attached to a lower edge of the support arm and projecting vertically below the support arm. Yet another component may be a rigid view block adjacent the face of the compartment and configured to reposition such that the view block is adjacent the face of the compartment while the compartment is in a closed position, and repositions when the compartment is opened.
US08814075B1

A hose deployment and retrieval system is described that includes a modular reel assembly. The modular reel assembly includes a reel having a hub around which a hose may be wound and a wheel assembly on either side of the hub and spaced to accept the hose there between. The reel assembly also includes an axle in the center of the hub around which the hub can spin and a base holding the axle. A deployment fork assembly includes a reel assembly mount for engaging with the modular reel assembly and a drive mechanism to spin the reel when the deployment fork assembly is engaged with the modular reel assembly, wherein the deployment fork assembly is adapted to mount to a vehicle.
US08814074B2

A belt retractor (10) comprising a frame, a belt reel, a first force limiting means (30) coupled to the belt reel and a second force limiting means (32), wherein the second force limiting means (32) can be locked and the first force limiting means (30) is arranged functionally in series with the second force limiting means (32), is characterized in that the second force limiting means (32) includes a deformation element (52) and at least one deforming member (26, 54) fixed to the frame, the deformation element (52) being adapted to be rotated relative to the deforming member (26, 54) when the second force limiting means (32) is activated, whereby the deformation element (52) is deformed.
US08814070B2

The present technique provides a system and method for improving atomization in a spray coating device. An exemplary spray coating device of the present technique has a fine finish tip with an atomization section comprising a first fluid impingement orifice, i.e., a pre-orifice, angled toward an expansion chamber and a subsequent second fluid impingement orifice. The fine finish tip is provided as a unitary assembly that may be applied to a spray gun and that provides a fixed relationship between the pre-orifice, the expansion chamber, and the second orifice, which results in refined spray characteristics, such as uniform particle distribution and uniform fan pattern shapes.
US08814067B2

An apparatus that uses an optimized body design incorporating one or more interchangeable nozzle inserts with a wide array of discharge orifice sizes, configurations and spacings to efficiently and effectively deliver a pressurized, high velocity, laminar flow air stream to dry, cool, or clean objects that are either stationary or moving transversely through the optimized air stream developed by the apparatus, all while minimizing the operational downtime required to implement the interchangeable nozzle insert modifications to the apparatus.
US08814066B2

A grip structure of water sprayer comprises a sprayer body, a grip body is extended downward from one end of the sprayer body, a front surface of the grip body is covered with a front grip fitting portion, a fixing structure is disposed on a back surface of the grip body, a back grip fitting portion is fitted on the back surface of the grip body. The back grip fitting portion has a fitting structure to be fitted and engaged with the fixing structure, so that the back grip fitting portion is fitted on the grip body. Accordingly, the back grip fitting portion of the present invention can be dismounted and replaced at will which is convenient for maintenance and usage.
US08814061B1

A rotary nozzle cleaning apparatus is provided with an improved stem enabling an optimum flow of pressurized fluid while retaining structural strength. The stem is tubular in shape and formed with a series of triangular openings through the wall thereof. Alternating triangular openings are oriented with their apexes facing downstream of the fluid with interspersed openings oriented with their apexes facing upstream. The triangular openings are isosceles in configuration. The stem may be formed integral with an inlet cap of the cleaning apparatus or as a separate component.
US08814060B2

A method and apparatus is disclosed for ejecting material. The ejected material is ejected as liquid and liquid vapor via an explosive process which can provide a very fast ejection as well as an ejection which has a large throw. The apparatus can be used to eject fuel for a fuel injector.
US08814057B2

Devices comprising multi-compartment fluidic cell with multiple inlets. Compartments can be separated from one another using soft seals. The main cell can be located between two adjacent secondary cells. The main cell carries the main flow while the secondary cells can carry either the main flow or any auxiliary flows. The flow in the multi-compartment cells minimizes fluid leakage and causes reduced pressure difference between the main cell and the two secondary cells especially under similar flow conditions.
US08814056B2

An RFIC element includes a capacitance therein. By this capacitance and an inductance of a loop-shaped conductor, an LC resonant circuit is provided. When UHF-band high-frequency power is supplied to the loop-shaped conductor from the RFIC element, the loop-shaped conductor is coupled to a flat conductor in an electromagnetic field by a current flowing through the loop-shaped conductor, and induced currents flow through the flat conductor. By propagation of the induced currents through the flat conductor, the flat conductor acts as a radiation element. It is preferred that the dimension in the longitudinal direction of the flat conductor be a half wavelength of the used frequency band. Accordingly, the flat conductor acts as a half-wave radiation element.
US08814052B2

A smart card usable in magnetic stripe swipe transactions with a transaction terminal configured to read transaction information encoded on a magnetic stripe of a standard transaction card includes a card body, which includes a magnetic stripe emulator for use with the transaction terminal, a smart card chip programmed with at least one transaction application for providing secured data for use in a transaction and dynamic card verification data, a power supply, and a card controller in communication with the magnetic stripe emulator. The card controller is configured to receive the dynamic card verification data and control the magnetic stripe emulator to emit a magnetic field encoded with at least a portion of the secured data and the dynamic card verification data.
US08814050B1

Advanced payment applications are provided to improve the functionality of cards and devices. For example, a user interface may be placed on a card (e.g., a physical button) or a telephonic device (e.g., a virtual button on a capacitive touch screen). Manual input provided to this user interface may, for example, cause an item purchased on credit to be paid via one or more user accounts (e.g., bank accounts) as soon as the next credit statement posts or becomes due. A user may decide to pay for an item when the next statement becomes due at a point-of-sale magnetic stripe reader by using an interface on a card to cause information to be communicated through the infrastructure indicative of a user's desire to pay the for an item when the next statement becomes due.
US08814046B1

A system for a baseband near field magnetic stripe data transmitter includes a mobile phone and a magnetic stripe transmission (MST) device. The mobile phone transmits a stream of pulses including magnetic stripe data of a payment card. The magnetic stripe transmission (MST) device includes a wave shaper, a driver and an induction device. The MST device receives the stream of pulses from the mobile phone, shapes and amplifies the received stream of pulses and generates and emits high energy magnetic pulses including the magnetic stripe data. The emitted high energy magnetic pulses are picked up remotely by a magnetic read head. The MST device shapes the stream of pulses to compensate for shielding, eddy current losses and limited inductance value of the magnetic read head.
US08814044B2

An intellectual material object management method includes: an RF scanning device scans a carrier tag of a replenishment carrier and a shelf tag of at least one present supplying shelf among stock shelves of a warehouse to assist for putting the replenishment carrier on a target shelf for the replenishment carrier. An MO picking list for obtaining information of at least one selected MO is received. The RF scanning device scans an MO tag of a present picking MO on a present picking shelf among the stock shelves and a list tag of the MO picking list to assist for obtaining the selected MO from the stock shelves of the warehouse. A remaining amount of remaining MOs is counted. An amount tag for the remaining MOs is printed according to the remaining amount of the remaining MOs for sticking on a remaining MO carrier for loading the remaining MOs.
US08814037B2

A machine may be configured to subscribe a user to a data feed that corresponds to an activity. The machine may generate an optically scannable code that encodes an activity identifier of the activity. The machine may cause a first device to access this optically scannable code, and the first device may present the optically scannable code to a second device. The second device may scan the optically scannable code, and the machine may detect that the optically scannable code has been scanned by the second device. In response to this detection, the machine may subscribe a user of the second device to a data feed that corresponds to the activity. Hence, a first user may present the optically scannable code using one device, and a second user can scan the optically scannable code using another device and be subscribed to the data feed for the activity.
US08814030B2

Alloy formation systems and methods and a mechanism, strategy and design for power electronics having high operating temperatures. The system creates a bondline targeted for performance in power electronics. The system provides for sequential alloy growth in high temperature operating power electronics. The system is at least applicable to wafer-to-wafer, die-to-wafer, die-to-substrate, or die-to-die bonding.
US08814025B2

A surgical instrument includes a handle portion, a shaft housing a firing bar, an end effector comprising an anvil, a lower jaw, and a stapling and severing assembly responsive to a longitudinal closing motion produced by the handle portion and the shaft. The lower jaw is configured to receive a cartridge when in an open position. The cartridge includes a housing, a plurality of staples disposed in the housing, and a deck disposed over the plurality of staples. The deck defines apertures, with each aperture being substantially disposed over each staple. The cartridge further receives a matrix including glue beads suspended in the matrix. The staples are driven through the matrix to secure the matrix to tissue. The glue beads are activated when the matrix is secured to the tissue, such that the activated adhesive further secures the staple line in the tissue.
US08814014B2

A vehicle article carrier system for clamping a roof rail to a roof of a vehicle. The system enables a variation in the spacing between an outer layer of the roof and an underlying roof structure to be taken up when clamping a roof rail to the vehicle roof without causing deformation of the outer layer of the vehicle roof.
US08814011B2

A container (11) for a blender includes a base surface (13) and a blade (20) which is rotatable on an axis above the base surface (13). An arcuate wall (14) and two generally straight walls (15, 16) extend upwardly from the base surface (13) and terminate at the upper end of container (11). The axis of rotation of the blade (20) is closer to the arcuate wall (14) than it is to the generally straight walls (15, 16). A skirt (25) extends downwardly from the base surface (13) and has an opening. Sound baffling fingers (32) extend from the skirt (25) and into the opening. A spout (40) is formed at the intersection of two of the walls (14, 15, 16), the spout (40) having an entry point located approximately twenty to thirty percent of the height of the walls (14, 15, 16) from the upper end of the container (11). A handle (34) is positioned opposite to the spout (40) and a cover (12) includes a plug (55) to close the spout (40).
US08814010B2

A dispensing closure for a squeeze-type container produces a fan-type spray in a low pressure environment. The dispensing closure includes a closure body having an upper deck and a skirt depending from the upper deck. The skirt is configured and arranged to attach to a product container, such as a squeeze-type container. A flow conduit extends from an interior of the closure body and through the upper deck to provide a flow path from an interior of the closure to an exterior of the closure. The flow conduit has an entrance orifice and an exit orifice. The flow conduit has an inner wall extending between the entrance orifice and the exit orifice. The flow conduit and the closure body are integrally formed. The flow conduit includes a tip portion with an exit orifice defining a shape to provide a fan-type spray in a low pressure environment.
US08814008B2

A seal assembly for a pressurised container 2 comprising a first seal portion 16 and a second seal portion 18. The first seal portion 16 is adapted to form a seal with an output section 14 of the pressurised container 2 and an end face 26 thereof, and the second seal portion 18 is adapted to form a seal with a side wall 28 of the output section 14.
US08814006B2

A system and method of flavoring food includes a metering tray coupled to a frame. The metering tray may be configured to hold a food flavoring. A metering roller also may be coupled to the frame. An exterior axial surface of the metering roller may define a plurality of indentations, which may be configured to capture the food flavoring as the metering roller rotates. The system may also include a metering blade and a displacement; each may be coupled to the frame. The metering blade may be configured to level the food flavoring as the food flavoring is dispensed by the plurality of indentations of the metering roller as the metering roller rotates. The displacement blade may have a plurality of teeth that are configured to correspond to the plurality of indentations. The teeth may be configured to positively displace the food flavoring as the metering roller rotates.
US08813999B2

A method includes determining whether an object is sensed by a sensor, dispensing a product responsive to determining that the object has been sensed, setting an object clear time value to a first value, setting a first timer to a first time period and starting the timer, starting a second timer with the set object clear time, determining whether the first timer has expired, determining whether an object is sensed by the sensor responsive to determining that the first timer has not expired, determining whether the second timer has expired responsive to determining that an object is not sensed by the sensor, setting the first timer to a second time period and starting the first timer responsive to determining that the second timer has expired.
US08813987B2

A closure (10) for a container (12) is disclosed wherein the closure has an inner part that is attachable to the container (12) around the opening of the container (12) and an outer part (20) that is receivable on the inner part (18). The inner part (18) defines at least two inner apertures (34; 36), and the outer part (20) defines at least one outer aperture (52). A bias means (60), is configured to exert a bias between the inner (18) and outer (20) parts. The outer part (20) can slide relative to the inner part (18) when received on the inner part (18), said sliding being between a rest position in which the outer aperture (52) is blocked by the inner part (18), a first dispensing position in which the outer aperture (52) is aligned with a first one of the inner apertures (36), and a second dispensing position in which the outer aperture (52) is aligned with the second of the inner apertures (34). The closure (10) is configured such that sliding of the outer part (20) towards its second dispensing position occurs against the bias.
US08813985B2

A panel can have a plurality of grooves. An insert can be installed into one or more of the grooves. The inserts can have one or more mating elements that protrude from the side of the insert. The one or more mating elements can be sized and positioned to help secure the insert within a groove.
US08813976B2

One exemplary embodiment can be a process for extracting one or more sulfur compounds. The process may include mixing a hydrocarbon stream containing the one or more sulfur compounds with an alkaline stream in at least one vessel. Often, the at least one vessel includes a member forming a perimeter about an interior space and having a first side and a second side forming a passageway communicating at least one of the hydrocarbon stream and the alkaline stream from an outer surface of the member to the interior space, and a frustum. The frustum can be positioned proximate to the passageway and abutting the member for facilitating contacting of the hydrocarbon stream and the alkaline stream.
US08813968B1

A wood pellet screen apparatus that is formed of a housing having a pair of legs. The housing includes a series of interconnected walls that form a collection chamber. An elongated screen is disposed in the housing over the collection chamber. The screen is constructed and arranged to receive wood pellets deposited thereon. The screen is further constructed and arranged to be tilted at an angle to the horizontal so that as wood pellets are deposited at a top of the screen the wood pellets progress along the screen under gravity control.
US08813965B2

A carton (10) is formed from a unitary blank of material folded to produce a hollow walled structure for encircling a main product (11). The blank is also folded to produce at least one internal divider (35) which forms a support for holding the main product (11) in position in the structure and to define within the hollow walled structure an internal volume (36) for retaining a secondary item (37). The internal divider (35) may extend transversely or longitudinally. Where the internal divider is aligned longitudinally of the housing, it may be parallel to a side wall of the carton or it may extend across a corner between two side walls. The internal divider may be provided by a pair of kick-ins. The carton (10) may be an Easter egg carton. Methods of forming and filling the carton are also described.
US08813964B2

Improvements in a semiconductor wafer container including improvements in side protection to the wafers, improved cover design to minimize rotation, a simplified top cover orientation mechanism and an improved bottom holding mechanism for automation. The side protection to the wafers is with multiple staggered inner and outer walls. The improved cover design improves alignment of the top and bottom housings and minimizes rotation of the housings in transit or motion. The housings have a recessed tab ramp feature with bi-directional locking that also increases the rigidity of the containment device when the two housings are assembled. The latching mechanism is located in a protective latch well that minimizes accidental opening of the latch(s). The improved bottom holding mechanism for automation is an integrated feature that is molded into the bottom housing and not assembled in a secondary operation.
US08813954B2

A container for storing a biological sample for molecular diagnostic testing and/or histological testing is provided. The container includes a first chamber for receiving a sample holder therein, a second chamber, and a closure for enclosing the container. A transitional barrier, such as a valve, is in fluid communication between the two chambers. The transitional barrier is transitional between a first position in which the first chamber is in fluid isolation from the second chamber, and a second position in which fluid can pass from at least one of the first and second chambers to the other of the first and second chambers.
US08813953B2

A transportable arrangement that includes a plurality of stuffing envelopes adjoining each other in planar manner and a packaging therefor. A cover body made of cardboard-like material surrounds the plurality of stuffing envelopes. The cover body surrounds the plurality of stuffing envelopes on the bottoms thereof, the tops thereof and both end sides completely or partially. The narrow sides are left open. The cover body comprises two rectangular panes, designed relatively stronger than the other components of the cover body and resting on the end sides. The cover body comprises a tear tab that is arranged on one of the end sides of the plurality of stuffing envelopes. This allows the cover body to be torn open and the cover body to be pulled off the plurality of stuffing envelopes.
US08813948B2

A device for transferring articles between a first machine implementing intermittent movement of the articles at a first predetermined pitch, and a second machine implementing continuous movement of the articles at a second predetermined pitch. The device includes a flexible conveyor extending around at least two pulleys so as to have at least one rectilinear segment facing a conveyor of the first machine and a rounded segment facing a conveyor of the second machine. The flexible conveyor of the device carries laterally-projecting article-handling members arranged at regular intervals in such a manner that the handling members are at a pitch corresponding to the first pitch in the rectilinear segment. The rounded segment has a radius such that the handling members are at a pitch corresponding to the second pitch in the rounded segment.
US08813946B2

Elongate packs of circular biscuits are fed at high speed from a wrapping output conveyor to a transverse indexing conveyor. The indexing conveyor has a series of compartments with inclined sides, each compartment receiving a pair of packs end to end. The conveyor indexes each time that it receives a pair of packs, the compartments holding the packs against movement longitudinally of the conveyor. The packs are removed in groups from the indexing conveyor and urged together on a tray of adjustable dimension. Orientation of the packs is maintained, for consistent presentation of printing ABCD.
US08813941B2

In some aspects, a workpiece processing installation includes an operating area, an operating pallet able to be moved along a transport direction between a position within the operating area and a position outside the operating area, the operating pallet being configured to support a workpiece, and a pallet support that is configured to be transferred from a first position, in which the pallet support defines a storage area for the storage of the operating pallet outside the operating area, to a second position in which the pallet support protrudes away from the operating area in the transport direction to a lesser extent than it does in the first position. Transferring the pallet support from the first position to the second position includes moving at least a portion of the pallet support towards the operating area which results in the storage area defined by the pallet support becoming smaller.
US08813936B2

A force transmitting assembly 20 transmits force to engage and disengage a driven shaft 28. When the force transmitting assembly 20 is engaged, front and rear annular pressure plates 32, 34 frictionally retain a rotor 36 fixedly mounted on the shaft 28 and stops rotation of the shaft 28. The force transmitting assembly 20 maximizes torque and minimizes inertia by providing friction surfaces with friction material substantially engaging the entire working surface of the rotor 36. The force transmitting assembly includes an axially moveable housing 22 attached directly to a mounting flange 24.
US08813919B2

An elevator installation includes a first elevator car and a second elevator car, each having a respective braking device, and a safety system that monitors the elevator cars. The safety system has for each braking device a braking force regulating device for regulating a braking force of the respective braking device. The safety system activates at least one of the braking devices by the associated braking force regulating device in order to prevent collision of the first elevator car with the second elevator car.
US08813918B2

An elevator support monitoring device in an elevator system and a method for monitoring an elevator support characterizing property, preferably an electrical resistance, of the elevator support or of a tension support of the elevator support for a sudden change in the characterizing property. A state of the elevator support is determined by evaluating several consecutive, sudden changes in the characterizing property.
US08813917B2

The present invention presents a solution for limiting access rights in a building, which building contains a conveying system, an access control system connected to the conveying system, which access control system comprises at least one short-range identification point and at least one long-range identification point and in which access control system passengers have a personal terminal device for giving service requests to the conveying system. A terminal device is taken into the operating area of a short-range identification point, the access rights connected to the service requests of the terminal device are activated, the terminal device is taken into the operating area of a long-range identification point and a service request generated with the terminal device is transmitted to the conveying system, if the access right connected to the service request is valid on the basis of the activation.
US08813913B2

Emergency access apparatus including a ladder and at least one multi-functional emergency access module mounted on the ladder, the at least one multi-functional emergency access module including window glass shattering functionality and window frame engagement functionality.
US08813908B1

A blower for an HVAC system of a motor vehicle. A fan is supplied with airflow by a duct having a bend adjacent to the fan that causes a low-pressure region at a face of the fan. A baffle is located immediately adjacent to the fan face and collocated with at least a portion of the low-pressure region to impede airflow through the face of the fan at that location. The baffle acts to reduce unwanted low frequency noise and improves the mechanical efficiency of the fan. The baffle covers a circular segment of the fan face and may have sound-suppressing features, such as ridges formed on at least one surfaces.
US08813907B2

A noise reduction system with a chamber includes a chamber (17) which is provided at a portion of a supply path connecting a flow path in an upstream side of a combustor in a jet engine to a plurality of microjet nozzles which is provided at an exhaust side peripheral edge of a main nozzle of the jet engine, wherein the supply path is configured to supply part of compressed air from the flow path into the chamber (17), and the chamber (17) is configured to inject the compressed air through the plurality of the microjet nozzles (63) to a jet flow.
US08813906B2

A damper speaker includes a fiber cloth woven by fibers, each of the fibers is formed by a single fiber strand or several fiber strands. The fiber strand includes a first fiber, which is one or a combination of cotton, polyester and aramid fiber. When the first fiber is the combination of cotton, polyester and aramid fiber, the weight ratio of any one to the fiber cloth is 0˜100%, and the weight ratio of the other two is adjusted. When the weight ratio of the first fiber to the fiber cloth is less than 100%, the fiber cloth includes a second fiber, which is one or a combination of rayon, silk, flax, acrylic, rubber and synthetic fiber. The speaker damper includes a layer of resin, which is absorbed by and combined with the fiber cloth. The fiber cloth is then cut into a predetermined shape through a molding means.
US08813905B2

A rotating electrical machine control device includes a target current value calculation section, a PWM signal generation section, a voltage application section, and a control section. The target current value calculation section calculates target current values of electric currents supplied to windings of a rotating electrical machine. The PWM signal generation section generates PWM signals for the respective windings based on the target current values. The voltage application section applies voltages to the respective windings based on the PWM signals. When the control section stops driving of the rotating electrical machine, the PWM signal generation section generates the PWM signals in which a timing of a pulse change in the PWM signal of at least one phase is different from timings of pulse changes in the PWM signals of the other phases.
US08813900B2

A vehicle exhaust system has a first exhaust pipe adapted to be connected to a first exhaust port of an engine, a first expansion chamber connected to the first exhaust pipe, a second exhaust pipe adapted to be connected to a second exhaust port of an engine, a second expansion chamber connected to the second exhaust pipe, a collector connected to the first and second expansion chambers, a third exhaust pipe connected to the collector, and a first muffler connected to the third exhaust pipe. A vehicle having the vehicle exhaust system is also disclosed.
US08813897B2

An impact absorbing apparatus of a vehicle includes a back beam to secure an impact absorbing space while retreating rearward at the time of a collision accident with a pedestrian. This makes it possible to prevent direct contact between the back beam, which is a rigid body, and the pedestrian. Therefore, injury to the pedestrian may be significantly decreased.
US08813894B1

A motorcycle includes a body frame including right and left main frames and right and left rear arms, a rear suspension disposed on a vehicle center line so that its axis extends substantially in a fore-and-aft direction, and a seat located above the rear suspension. The left main frame includes a left inclined portion extending obliquely rightward and rearward, and a left minimum portion. The right main frame includes a right inclined portion extending obliquely leftward and rearward, and a right minimum portion located rightward of the left minimum portion such that a distance between the right and left main frames in a vehicle width direction is at a minimum rearward of the left inclined portion and the right inclined portion. The rear suspension is at least partially located between the right and left minimum portions in a plan view of the motorcycle.
US08813882B2

A forage transporter allowing both front and rear unloading using an apron conveyor passing along the floor of the forage transporter provides a single control lever selectively enabling a forward drive for forward unloading and a rear drive for rear unloading while providing a mechanical lockout preventing simultaneous activation of the front and rear drives.
US08813880B2

A robotic system that can have a body and four flippers is described. Any or all of the flippers can be rotated. The flippers can have self-cleaning tracks. The tracks can be driven or passive. The robotic system can be controlled by and send audio and/or video to and/or from, a remote operator control module. The methods of using and making the robotic system are also described.
US08813878B1

Embodiments relate to PDCs, methods of fabricating PDCs, and applications for such PDCs. In an embodiment, a PDC includes a substrate and a pre-sintered PCD table including an interfacial surface that is bonded to the substrate. The pre-sintered PCD table may be substantially free of leaching by-products in a region at least proximate to the interfacial surface. In an embodiment, a method of fabricating a PDC includes providing an at least partially leached PCD including an interfacial surface. The method includes removing at least some leaching by-products from the at least partially leached PCD table. After removing the at least some leaching by-products, the method includes bonding the interfacial surface of the at least partially leached PCD table to a substrate to form a PDC.
US08813877B1

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for increasing the drift diameter and improving the well path of the well bore, accomplished in one embodiment by cutting away material primarily forming surfaces nearer the center of the drift, thereby reducing applied power, applied torque and resulting drag compared to conventional reamers that cut into all surfaces of the well bore.
US08813876B2

An impact dissipation tool for supporting a downhole tool in downhole applications. The tool includes a base and a housing. The tool also includes a carriage located within the housing and coupled to the base, the carriage being movable relative to the housing upon a predetermined impact force. A dissipator disposed inside the housing is collapsible due to the relative movement of the carriage and the housing. The collapse of the dissipator dissipates the impact force transferred to the downhole tool.
US08813874B2

Methods for sealing voids and cracks in subterranean-formation rock that contains carbonate minerals, thereby minimizing or stopping fluid flow between the formation rock and the wellbore of a subterranean well, comprise pumping a solution of one or more lattices that contains at least one carboxylated monomer down a well during drilling and allowing it to enter voids (e.g., pores, fractures, vugs and caverns) in the carbonate-containing formation. The solution reacts with divalent cations liberated by the carbonates and forms a plug.
US08813873B2

This invention relates to drilling a well, particularly an oil or gas well, where casing or liner will be installed to stabilize the wellbore. The present invention is intended to permit more drilling and longer lengths of casing or liner to be installed at one time. The present invention includes a combination of a smear tool and specially sized granular lost circulation material solids in the drilling mud which work together to close and seal leaking formations and fractures whether pre-existing or induced by drilling. By the natural collection of the inventive solids along with the conventional particles in the drilling mud to form a filter cake at the problem areas along the wall of the wellbore and the smear tool arranged to compress the filter cake into the problem areas, lost circulation is minimized. Maintaining circulation naturally allows for longer drilling cycles and potentially fewer liner joints in the well. As such, larger diameter boreholes are located in the hydrocarbon bearing formation and less time is spent installing casing or liner pipe.
US08813866B2

An electric power tool is powered by a plurality of battery packs connected in series. The electric power tool comprises a controller configured to receive signals outputted from the integrated circuits located in each of the battery packs. A first voltage level-shifter is disposed between the controller of the electric power tool and one of the integrated circuits of the battery packs. The first voltage level-shifter is configured to shift the voltage level of the signal outputted from the respective integrated circuit to the tool controller to an acceptable level for the controller.
US08813863B2

A semi-mounted monowheel plough includes a hitching device intended to be connected to a tractor, a single-piece frame equipped with plough bodies, a wheel and a beam guiding the wheel, the frame having a recess at the level of the wheel. Each plough body is connected to the frame by a first respective articulation, the plough bodies are connected with each other via a control mechanism integrated in the frame, each plough body is connected to the control mechanism by a second respective articulation and the control mechanism includes at least one straight bar and a curved bar.
US08813857B2

An actuator and method for setting a subterranean tool uses an externally mounted actuator on a tubular string that is operably engaged to the tool to be actuated. At the desired location for actuation a signal is given to a valve assembly. The opening of the valve releases the pressurized compressible fluid against a floating piston. The piston drives viscous fluid ahead of itself through the now open valve that in turn drives an actuating piston whose movement sets the tool. The triggering mechanism to open the valve can be a variety of methods including an acoustic signal, a vibration signal, a change in magnetic field, or elastic deformation of the tubular wall adjacent the valve assembly.
US08813843B2

A method for treating a zone of subterranean formation is provided. The method includes the steps of: (a) forming a treatment fluid including: (i) water; (ii) a viscosity-increasing agent selected from the group consisting of water-soluble polysaccharides, water-soluble derivatives thereof, and any combination of the foregoing; (iii) a crosslinker for the viscosity-increasing agent; (iv) a hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymer; wherein the viscosity-increasing agent is not a hydrophobically modified polymer; and (b) introducing the treatment fluid into a zone of a subterranean formation, wherein the zone has a design temperature of equal to or greater than 350° F.
US08813841B2

A hybrid dump bailer is disclosed herein comprising a bailer tubes for containing a material, such as cement slurry, to be dumped. The hybrid dump bailer comprises a pressure pulse piston that is accelerated by a spring causing a pressure pulse to expel the material to be dumped. The hybrid dump bailer further comprises a collet, a retaining rod, a piston, valve, and a supply of pressurized fluid which is holds the pressure pulse piston in place while the spring is compressed. Once the valve is opened, releasing the pressurized fluid, the retaining rod separates from the collet allowing the pressure pulse piston to accelerate can produce the pressure pulse to dump the material.
US08813837B2

A wellbore system comprising a housing assembly and a hanger assembly. The hanger assembly comprises an actuation member that interacts with a portion of the housing assembly when the hanger assembly is positioned at a desired location in the housing assembly. The hanger assembly also comprises a load member that is adapted to extend between the hanger assembly and the housing assembly to enable the housing assembly to support the hanger assembly. The load member is carried into the wellbore in a retracted position. When the actuation member interacts with the housing assembly at the desired location, the actuation member actuates the load member to expand outward to extend between the hanger assembly and the housing assembly. The actuation member is adapted to transfer a lifting force from the surface to the load member to enable an over-pull test of the hanger assembly to be performed.
US08813833B2

To provide a heat exchanging device for powder, which is capable of suppressing as much as possible the compression force applied to an object to be processed and reducing the manufacturing man-hour (time), while ensuring the piston flowability of the object to be processed. In order to achieve this object, the present invention is a heat exchanging device for powder, which is configured such that a shaft 13 is rotatably supported within a horizontally long casing 1, that a plurality of heat exchangers 30 are disposed at predetermined intervals on the shaft, and that a heat exchanging medium is supplied into the heat exchangers via the shaft, wherein the heat exchangers 30 are formed as substantially hollow disk-shaped heat exchangers each having a notched recess 31 directed to a center from a circumferential edge.
US08813825B2

A copper mold or copper mold plate and also a process for reconditioning such worn molds or mold plates, which are used for the continuous casting of metals or metal alloys is provided. An electrolytically applied copper coating is provided on the inner wall of the mold or on that side of the mold plate which faces toward the casting strand.
US08813821B2

A component casting apparatus includes a mold to receive a molten solid for casting a component. The mold includes a first sacrificial layer to define a housing of the component and a second sacrificial layer to form at least one core passage of the component in response to contact from the molten solid. The component casting apparatus further includes a trusset disposed against an outer surface of the second sacrificial layer and formed from metal to support the second sacrificial layer.
US08813814B2

Described herein is a method of melting a bulk metallic glass (BMG) feedstock, comprising: heating at least a portion of the BMG feedstock to temperatures slightly below a solidus temperature of the BMG, wherein the portion remains a solid at the temperatures slightly below the solidus temperature and wherein a temperature distribution of the portion is essentially uniform; heating the portion of the BMG feedstock to temperatures above a liquidus point.
US08813811B1

A method of forming a mold for use in the casting of a steel railway freight car truck component is provided. A cope mold is formed by providing a near net shape oversize impression of a cope pattern of a product to be cast in a flask. A cope pattern of the product to be cast is then placed on the flask forming a spacing between the cope pattern and the oversize impression. A resin coated sand is then blown to form a sand layer between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern. The resin sand is set to form a mold of a thickness between the oversized impression in the flask and the cope pattern of the product to be cast. The drag mold is formed in a similar manner.
US08813809B2

An electrically heated window curtain of fire resistant material to heat up the draft flow of cold air that leaks through single pane glass windows with low voltage heating wires embedded in the fire resistant material, a power source, a thermostat, a battery pack, and a charger. Also included is a curtain rod and gripping strips on the curtain to hold the curtain in a rolled up position when not in use.
US08813795B2

The invention relates to a passive valve for multi-valve devices for sealing a container or a line. According to one aspect of the invention, the passive valve is free of bearing supports which protrude in a positive sense out of the passive valve. The invention also relates to a multi-valve device for contamination-free connection of two containers or two lines with partial valves that can be rotated about a single axis. According to this aspect of the invention, at least three partial valves, which are arranged essentially parallel to one another and can be put under tension so they can be sealed with respect to their surroundings, can be rotated about the single shared axis.
US08813794B2

A dispensing system includes one or more digital image capture devices for capturing images in a dispenser well and a digital image analyzer operatively coupled to the digital image capture device(s) for analyzing the images for use in regulating a dispensing operation. The digital image analyzer evaluates digital images captured by the digital image capture device(s) to determine various characteristics of a container placed in the dispensing well, such as the height and position of the container.
US08813790B2

A device for protecting the end of a tubular component, the end including a first threaded zone. The device includes a protecting end including a second threaded zone configured to cooperate with a first threaded zone of the tubular component, and a ring configured to cover a portion of the outer surface of the end of the tubular component. The ring is bound up with the protecting end such that the ring is free to turn about itself independently of the end. Such a device may find application to components used for drilling and operating hydrocarbon wells, for example in particular expandable components.
US08813785B2

A multiple fluid selection valve including a stator and a rotor is provided. The stator includes a stator interface and a plurality of ports arranged into a plurality of port groups. Each port group has a common port and non-common ports. The non-common ports include a first non-common port and a second non-common port. The rotor includes a plurality of first channels, each first channel extending from an axial center of the rotor to at least a point on the rotor interface alignable with the common ports for fluid communication therewith. The rotor also includes a plurality of second channels, each second channel extending from at least a point on the rotor interface alignable with the common ports for fluid communication therewith to at least a point on the rotor interface alignable with the first non-common ports and/or the second non-common ports for fluid communication therewith.
US08813778B2

A valve control system includes a valve control device and a hand-held actuating apparatus for triggering operating actions within the valve control device. The hand-held actuating apparatus includes a magnet arrangement and the valve control device includes a magnetic field sensor arrangement adapted to the magnet arrangement of the hand-held actuating apparatus. The magnet arrangement includes one or more magnets and an actuating means. The magnetic fields of the magnets are individually variable by the actuating means without movement of the hand-held actuating apparatus relative to the magnetic field sensor arrangement.
US08813757B2

A reading and adjustment tool for use with a valve having a pressure or flow setting adjustable to a plurality of pressure or flow settings is disclosed. The tool includes a signal generator and an excitation coil coupled to the signal generator. The signal generator includes an adjustment interface configured to generate an adjustment signal to adjust the pressure or flow setting and a reading interface to generate a reading signal to read the pressure or flow setting of the valve. At least one excitation coil is connected to the signal generator and configured to generate an oscillating electromagnetic field based on one of the adjustment signal and reading signal. A sense coil can include two portions positioned on either side of the at least one excitation coil to determine the pressure or flow setting of the valve.
US08813754B2

Magnetic devices and implantation methods are provided for use in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The devices include a sheet-like element having ferromagnetic qualities. The device may also include a permanent magnet attached to the sheet-like element by magnetic forces. The devices are implanted in soft tissue surrounding the airway and in tissue space beneath the pharyngeal wall to exert forces on and/or change the shape of the soft tissue. The magnetic devices may also include a bladder containing a magnetorheological fluid that stiffens soft tissue when exposed to a magnetic field.
US08813751B2

A probe for medical use comprising a tube (1) and a cuff (3) located around the tube (1) in a region of its external wall, the cuff (3) being inflatable through a conduit (5) arranged at the wall of the tube (1), linking the interior of the tube (1) to the interior of the cuff (3), the inflation and deflation of the cuff (3) being determined by the rhythms of the inspiration and expiration of air, respectively.
US08813749B2

In accordance with at least one exemplary embodiment, a cushion for a ventilation interface is disclosed. A ventilation mask can include a mask body adapted to matingly engage with the cushion. The cushion can be a double-membrane cushion having an outer sealing membrane and an inner membrane, both of which can extend from a frame. The outer sealing membrane can have a face-contacting portion. The inner membrane can be outwardly oriented from the frame.
US08813742B2

A hot water feeder in which a solar heat collector is used. The feeder has a first heat exchanger for heating a heat medium by solar heat, a second heat exchanger for heating water in a hot-water tank by the heated heat medium, and a heat exchange volume determination unit. The heat exchange volume determination unit calculates the flow rate of the heat medium circulating between the first and second heat exchangers on the basis of the detected temperature of the heat medium fed to the first heat exchanger and the rotational speed of a heat medium circulation pump, and calculates the heat exchange volume on basis of the flow rate and the temperature difference between the detected temperatures.
US08813738B2

A grate assembly for cooking food products and a grilling apparatus which uses the grate assembly for supporting the food during cooking. The grate assembly comprises: (a) a lower grate element having a series of parallel peak structures with valleys therebetween and (b) an upper grate element having a series of parallel food support ribs which are sized and spaced such that each rib will be positioned over the top of a corresponding peak structure. The upper food contacting surfaces of the ribs will remain substantially rust-free at atmospheric and cooking conditions.
US08813735B2

A crossbow is provided which has one or more of the following improvements: a bolt retainer which downwardly biases a bolt in position forward of a forward rest position of a bowstring; a mounting rail associated with a lower surface of a frame rearward of a finger-pull mechanism, where the mounting rail is configured to allow one or more accessories to be mounted thereto; a finger-pull mechanism positioned at, or forward of, a midway point of the frame; a string latch positioned more than six inches rearward of the finger-pull mechanism; a sighting device having an eyepiece, where the eyepiece is positioned in alignment with, or forward of, the string latch; a ratio of length of pull distance of the crossbow to bull-pup distance of the crossbow being two-to-one or less; and a foot stirrup configured to stabilize the crossbow during cocking, and to provide a bipod during aiming/shooting.
US08813731B2

A blow-by gas refluxing device is provided for an engine system including an engine and an intake air passage communicating with the engine for supplying intake air into the engine. The blow-by gas refluxing device includes a plurality of blow-by gas refluxing passages each having an inlet communicating with the engine and an outlet communicating with the intake air passage. The outlets of the blow-by gas passages communicate with the intake air passage at different positions along the length of the intake air passage and each of the blow-by gas passages has a backflow preventing device disposed therein, so that blow-by gas produced in the engine can flow into the intake air passage via at least one of the blow-by gas refluxing passages throughout the entire operational range of the engine.
US08813730B2

Provided is a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which can introduce external EGR gas during a cold condition, while favorably suppressing an occurrence of condensed water from the EGR gas.A twin entry type turbo supercharger (18) is provided. A first exhaust passage (14a) through which first exhaust gas exhausted from a first cylinder group (#2 and #3) and a second exhaust passage (14b) through which second exhaust gas exhausted from a second cylinder group (#1 and #4) are provided. A sub cooling system including a sub cooling passage (32) for cooling the first exhaust passage (14a) is provided. A main cooling system including a main cooling passage (30) for cooling the second exhaust passage (14b) is provided. An EGR passage (24) connected between the first exhaust passage (14a) and an intake passage (12), and an EGR valve (26) playing a role in opening and closing the EGR passage (24) are provided. The circulation of sub cooling water in the sub cooling system is stopped when EGR gas is introduced into the intake passage (12) during the cold condition.
US08813729B2

A charge air duct for an internal combustion engine includes a housing with at least one entrance and at least one exit for charge air. A heat exchanger is arranged inside the housing to cool the charge air, a bypass is arranged on the housing to at least partially circumvent the heat exchanger and an actuator is arranged on the housing to influence the charge air flow. The charge air is guided from the entrance to the heat exchanger in a first position of the actuator and from the entrance to the bypass in a second position of the actuator, and the actuator at least partially reduces a cross-section of the charge air in a third position.
US08813727B2

A sealing assembly for a pressurized fuel feed system for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The seal assembly comprises providing a fuel conduit having a fluid flow passage therethrough for conveyance of a pressurized fuel-containing gas in a general fluid-flow direction with a first sealing surface disposed on the fuel conduit. A second sealing surface engages with the first sealing surface, such as to provide a fluid-tight connection preventing pressurized gas from leaving the fluid flow passage. The said first and second sealing surfaces are substantially perpendicular to the general fluid-flow direction. An o-ring is disposed between the first sealing surface and second sealing surface, the o-ring being compressed by the first and second sealing surfaces to form said fluid-tight connection. Preferably the o-ring is subjected to a squeeze of at least 40%, more preferably 50%, when the first and second sealing surfaces are coupled together.
US08813726B2

A fuel tank system capable of purging a canister without relying on the action of negative pressure from the engine, thereby giving excellent energy efficiency. Gases in the fuel tank move to a canister when filling up, and any fuel vapor is adsorbed in the canister. Air components are separated from the gases in the fuel tank using a gas separator and discharged and a negative pressure can be induced inside the fuel tank. This negative pressure acts on the canister and purges the canister.
US08813725B2

An evaporated fuel treatment device for a vehicle is provided to suppress the flowout of evaporated fuel into atmospheric air. In the evaporated fuel treatment device, a communication chamber is formed in a fuel supply cap, allowing communication between a charge passage and the inside of a fuel tank in a closed state. In the communication chamber, a positive pressure adjusting valve is openable to supply evaporated fuel in the fuel tank to an evaporated fuel storage unit through the communication chamber and the charge passage, and a negative pressure adjusting valve is openable to supply atmospheric air to the fuel tank from the evaporated fuel storage unit through the communication chamber and the charge passage. An interlocking member is provided between the key cover and the negative pressure adjusting valve, and opens the negative pressure adjusting valve in an interlocking manner with an operation of opening the key cover.
US08813721B2

A device for controlling a variation in pressure upstream of a common rail, the device being an extremely simple and small-sized compact device which is used in a pressure accumulating common rail type fuel injection apparatus. The device for controlling a variation in pressure upstream of a common rail can supply high-pressure fuel to the common rail in a stable pressure state by preventing pulsation of a high-pressure pump from occurring in each cylinder of the pump and also preventing generation of a surge pressure caused by opening and closing of a check valve. The device is provided with a secondary common rail which is connected to the fuel outlets of the check valves each provided to each of the cylinders of the high-pressure pump and which has a volume equal to or less than the volume of the common rail, and the device is also provided with injection pipes which connect between the common rail and the fuel outlets of the secondary common rail. The number of the injection pipes is set to be less than the number of the check valves each provided to each of the cylinders of the high-pressure pump.
US08813717B2

An internal combustion engine 100 includes a cylinder 102 that defines a combustion chamber 196 causing a premixed gas to be combusted, a piston 120 that defines the combustion chamber 196 together with the cylinder 102, and reciprocates in the cylinder 102, and an active species generator 150 that generates active species. The internal combustion engine 100 promotes combustion of the mixed gas by the active species generated by the active species generator 150. The piston 120 includes an active species generation chamber 194 that is formed therein and open to a top surface of the piston 120, and in which the active species generator 150 generates the active species.
US08813713B2

The piston has a crown forming a piston bowl. The piston bowl has a center portion with a convex spherical shape, a floor having a convex frusto-conical shape adjacent the center portion, and a base having a concave toroidal shape surrounding the floor. The piston bowl also has a cylindrical wall extending tangentially from the base that surrounds the center portion. The piston has a top surface perpendicular to the cylindrical wall along a rim of the piston bowl. A ratio between the piston bowl depth and the cylindrical wall length is less than 4, and a ratio between the piston bowl diameter and the piston bowl depth is 4.7.
US08813709B2

A switchable device for supplying at least one consumer of an internal combustion engine with pressure. The device includes the following: a housing having a housing interior; a displacement element arranged in the housing, which element can be displaced between a first end position and a second end position, the displacement element having a pressure surface which at least partially delimits a fluidically connectible accumulator chamber together with the wall of the housing interior, the accumulator chamber being connectible to a pressure source in a fluid-conducting manner; an energy accumulator which interacts with the displacement element, the displacement element being displaceable against the force of the energy accumulator from the first end position into the second end position under the effect of pressure applied to the accumulator chamber; a locking mechanism by which the displacement element can be locked in the second end position; a switching mechanism which can be actuated by an actuator, has a switch element that can be brought into at least two switching positions and interacts with the locking mechanism in such a manner that the displacement element can be locked and unlocked in a first switching position of the switch element and cannot be locked and not unlocked in a second switching position of the switch element.
US08813702B2

Provided is a valve timing control device, including: a drive side rotating member, a driven side rotating member, fluid pressure chambers, partition portions, advanced angle control oil passages, retarded angle control oil passages, an intermediate lock mechanism, and a retarded angle lock mechanism, in which the intermediate lock mechanism is configured to include a single intermediate lock member, a biasing mechanism which biases the intermediate lock member, and an intermediate fitting depression portion, and the retarded angle lock mechanism is configured to include a single retarded angle lock member, a biasing mechanism which biases the retarded angle lock member, and a retarded angle fitting depression portion.
US08813700B2

A camshaft adjustment mechanism is provided having a rotor adapted to be connected to a camshaft, a stator arranged around the rotor, and a cover associated with the stator. An advance chamber and a separate retard chamber are formed between the rotor and the stator and separated from each other by a vane extending from the rotor. The camshaft adjustment mechanism further includes a locking apparatus adapted to lock the rotor from rotation. A first oil control valve is associated with the advance chamber and the retard chamber to control oil flow to the advance chamber and the retard chamber. A second oil control valve is associated with the locking apparatus to control oil flow to the locking apparatus.
US08813693B2

A system includes a pump control module and a pump diagnostic module. The pump control module switches a switchable water pump from off to on. The pump diagnostic module diagnoses a fault in the switchable water pump based on a first difference between an engine material temperature and an engine coolant temperature when the switchable water pump is switched from off to on. The engine coolant temperature is a temperature of coolant circulated through an engine and the engine material temperature is a temperature of at least one of an engine block and a cylinder head.
US08813691B1

Pressurized and superheated, dry steam is admitted into the working chamber of a spark ignition engine for the purpose of increasing the thermal efficiency of the engine. The steam is admitted into the working chamber near the end of compression, and before ignition of the fuel. An igniter ignites the fuel. Additional work is pneumatically recovered from the steam, thus augmenting the total work obtained by the engine.
US08813687B2

A storage type water heater, which may have either fuel or electric-based heating apparatus, is provided with a control system incorporating a control algorithm that monitors the time between heat demands and then sets the tank water setpoint temperature accordingly to lower the effects of water stratification due to periodic heat demands, and also save energy. When the time between consecutive heat demands is less than a predetermined setback time, for a number of heat demands equal to a predetermined setback limit, a setback mode is activated and responsively operates to reduce the setpoint temperature by a predetermined setback offset at the next cycle. The original control setpoint temperature is restored once the time between two successive heat demands is more than the setback time.
US08813680B2

In certain embodiments, a system includes a front wall, a rear wall positioned substantially parallel to the front wall, and first and second side walls each extending between the front wall and the rear wall. The first side wall includes a gate, and the second side wall is spaced apart from the first side wall such that the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall define a milking box stall of a size sufficient to accommodate a dairy livestock. The system includes an equipment portion located adjacent to the rear wall. The equipment portion houses a robotic attacher configured to extend between the rear legs of a dairy livestock located within the milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the dairy livestock.
US08813677B2

A composite particulate preparing apparatus is provided that includes a rotating body receiving particulates to which an adhering material is allowed to adhere and having a bottom surface, a side wall and a flange part; a centrifugal machine rotating the rotating machine to apply centrifugal force to the particulates in the rotating body; an inclination varying device shifting the rotating body at an arbitrary inclination angle so that the bottom surface of the rotating body forms a vertical plane parallel to a gravitational direction from a horizontal plane perpendicular to the gravitational direction; and a stirring device disposed closer to a horizontal line perpendicular to a vertical line drawn from a rotational center of the rotating body in a gravitational direction on a rotational side where the particulates drop from an uppermost point, than to the vertical line.
US08813676B2

A user interface for a controller may include a panel having multiple indicia, a parameter selector configured to move relative to the multiple indicia, and an indicator to indicate which of the multiple indicia is selected by the selector.
US08813666B2

A barrier system for inhibiting marine growth on a submerged component of a boat operates on the principle that limiting the availability of nutrients that marine organisms need to survive and thrive will inhibit the growth of marine organisms. The barrier system, by restricting the exchange of water between the body of water enclosed within the barrier system and the body of water outside of the barrier system, creates and maintains a body of stagnant water which surrounds the submerged component targeted for protection from fouling growth. The submerged component may be a mounting bracket for an outboard engine and the barrier element may be resiliently adjustable in response to the act of tilting the outboard engine.
US08813662B2

An illustrative embodiment of a vertical floating row cleaner may include a mounting bracket configured to engage a row unit frame, which mounting bracket may have a receiver engaged therewith. An extension member may have first and second ends, with one end configured as an adjustor interface and the opposite end configured to pivotally engage at least one row cleaner wheel. An adjustor may engage the extension member at the adjustor interface such that the adjustor prevents the extension member from moving with respect to the receiver past a certain point in at least one direction.
US08813656B1

A flat panel television console and support kit allows the consumer to employ any of three modes of support, namely stand mount, console mount, and wall mount. The console assembly has upper and lower shelves, and a vertical column is secured to the console at a joint. A base plate can be fastened to the upper shelf of the console so that a flange on the base plate extends upwardly to support a vertical column that supports a TV mounting frame over the console. Alternatively, when the consumer wishes to mount the TV on the wall or on the console, the base plate can be fastened to the upper shelf in an inverted position so that the upper surface of the upper shelf is substantially flat.
US08813651B1

A method of making a liner for a shaped charge or an explosively formed projectile may include making a liner substrate using a 3D additive manufacturing process. At least a portion of the surface of the liner substrate may be surface finished. The surface finished portion may be electroplated with a metal to form a multi-layer liner.
US08813646B2

Provided is a label printer that includes a conveyance unit that conveys a label paper on which a label is attached and a printing unit that prints on the label. The label printer also includes a peeling unit that includes one pair of members separated in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the label paper and peels the label from a backing paper. The label printer also includes a backing paper conveyance unit that conveys the backing paper and a moving unit that moves the peeling members towards a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the backing paper.
US08813639B2

A machine for processing food products, includes a processing tool oscillatingly driven by a motor and a drive train, and a trigger system which, in each cycle of oscillating movement of the processing tool, triggers a predetermined action of the machine at a predetermined timing, the trigger system including a signal generator arranged in the drive train to deliver a reference time signal in each cycle, a timer measuring a time passed since the last occurrence of the reference time signal, and an electronic control device storing a displacement/time curve of the processing tool for at least one processing speed of the machine and in which a position of the processing tool is programmable at which the action shall be triggered, the control device determining on the basis of the displacement/time curve, the trigger timing corresponding to that position and triggering the action when the timer reaches this timing.
US08813636B2

A food cooker is provided that is configured to cook and infuse skewered food, the food cooker having perforated spines adjustably positionable on a sealable chamber that support the skewered food.The food cooker includes a bottom container, a cover, and a spine. The cover includes a vent positioned along an outer major surface thereof. The cover is also combinable with the bottom container such that the bottom container and cover coalesce to form a sealed inner chamber. The spine includes a hollow interior and perforations along an exterior surface. The spine is fittable with the vent.
US08813633B2

A system is described for delivering infusion beverages including at least one infusion capsule having an essence to be infused, at least one delivering manifold equipped with at least one housing seat of the capsule and at least one manifold for perforating and supplying water. The housing seat includes at least two different delivering ducts each one of which has a perforating end oriented towards an inside portion of the housing seat and a base of the capsule including at least one recess and one perforation portion. The recess and the perforation portion selectively correspond to the perforating end depending on a type of essence to be infused. An infusion capsule is also described.
US08813630B2

An ammunition magazine and gun/magazine system in which the magazine comprises an outer housing having a substantially cylindrical inner wall surface. An inner support member is mounted within the housing and has a substantially cylindrical outer wall surface which is concentric and opposing said inner wall surface of said housing. The outer wall surface and the inner wall surface form a gap between them. A helical ramp is disposed within the gap and has a concentric axis to the inner wall surface and said outer wall surface. The helical ramp forms a helical gap within the gap, which is configured to receive a plurality of cartridges such that a longitudinal axis of each cartridge is oriented radially of the inner wall surface within the helical gap. The magazine also includes a drive mechanism for advancing the cartridges along the helical ramp.
US08813627B2

A method and system to detect an improvised explosive device is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes dispersing a mixture containing a fluorescent material uniformly over a ground cover, illuminating the ground cover with wavelengths of visible light or ultraviolet (UV) light causing the fluorescent material to fluoresce in a visible light spectrum, and detecting where the mixture has been disturbed on the ground cover by visually observing inconsistencies in the fluorescent material on the ground cover that is fluorescing to indicate a location of the improvised explosive device. The method also includes that the mixture is adapted to cling to a person, clothes, or any combination thereof, upon contact.
US08813622B2

A machine for slitting metal sheet into strips includes a fixed upper beam and a lower beam that is displaceable vertically. Both beams support slitter heads that move along the beams. Each beam carries an arbor that rotates in it and extends through the slitter heads on it. Each beam also has a fixed threaded shaft and lock rods that extend through the slitter heads on it. Each slitter head carries a knife that rotates with the arbor for its beam. Each slitter head also has a motor-driven nut that engages the threaded shaft extending through the beam and, when rotated, moves the slitter head along its beam. The slitter heads have clamps, which clamp down on the lock rods to secure the slitter heads in fixed positions. The knives rotate about axes that are skewed slightly relative to the axes of the arbors that drive them.
US08813621B2

An apparatus for cutting food products. The apparatus includes a cutting device and housing thereabove that defines a passage with an opening in proximity to the cutting device for delivering the food product to the cutting device. The apparatus is preferably adapted to cut food products in a substantially horizontal plane, and as such the cutting device is preferably oriented to make a substantially horizontal cut through a food product. A lower portion of the housing has a lower extremity that defines the opening of the passage. The apparatus is equipped with various features that improve the operation of the apparatus and the consistency of the sliced product, particularly if the delivered food product varies in shape and size and may contain embedded stones.
US08813617B2

A cutting insert has a longitudinal insert axis A, a cutting head and an insert shank which extends rearwardly from the cutting head. The insert shank includes an insert clamping portion with an asymmetric cross section taken perpendicular to the insert axis A. The insert shank has a peripheral surface extending along at least a portion of the total length of the insert shank. The cutting insert has a first dividing plane P1 which contains the insert axis A. The first dividing plane P1 may be parallel to a line L which extends along the longest cross-sectional dimension of the insert clamping portion 40. On one side of the first dividing plane P1, the peripheral surface comprises first and second longitudinally extending depressions. On the other side of the first dividing plane P1, the peripheral surface comprises first and second abutment surfaces separated by a third depression, the first and second depressions being separated by a third abutment surface.
US08813615B2

A handle assembly for a hand-operated tool includes first and second front vertical members pivotally connected to the tool and first and second rear vertical members pivotally connected to the tool. A first connecting link connects the first front and rear vertical members. A second connecting link connects the second front and rear vertical members. A first handle extends between the first and second front vertical members. A second handle extends between the first and second rear vertical members.
US08813608B2

The invention relates to a gear housing (1) comprising a gear, particularly comprising a gear of a wiper device for motor vehicles, having a housing base body (4), having a housing cover (3) affixed at a distance to the housing base body (4) by means of a plurality of retaining clips (6) made of spring steel in circumferential direction, and having an annular seal (20) disposed between the housing base body (4) and the housing cover (3) and pressed against a support region (24) of the housing base body. The invention provides that the radial extension (y) of the support region is smaller than the radial extension (x, x′) of the annular seal.
US08813607B2

A gearbox includes an outer housing including manual rotation access passage and a manual rotation shaft coupled to a spool of an engine to rotate the engine spool. The gearbox also includes coupled to the outer housing that includes a flapper valve that, in a closed position, prevents a lubricant from escaping from the outer housing via the manual rotation access passage.
US08813603B2

A crank drive has a crankshaft having at least one crank pin having a bearing surface with a concavely curved shape in a longitudinal crankshaft section and a conrod having a big end fitted to the crank pin and having a bearing surface with a convex shape in contact with the concave shape of the bearing surface of the crank pin in a load-bearing area that transmits forces acting between the big end of the conrod and the crank pin when the drive is in use. The shapes of the bearing surfaces are in accordance with the principle of uniformly distributed stresses such that essentially the same equivalent stress is distributed overall in the bearing surfaces in time average.
US08813602B2

An active balancing system for rotating machinery is provided which is light weight, solid state and powered by radiant energy. One or more balance rings coupled to the rotating machinery each have balancing elements which are moved to a selected position by actuators whose operation is controlled according to measured vibration resulting from imbalance of the machinery. The actuators are powered by an electrical energy generating device, such as a photo cell or a photovoltaic element, which is coupled to the machinery and located across an air gap from a source of radiant energy such as an array of light emitting diodes.
US08813601B2

Provided is a retainer for assisting in installation of a parking brake actuator for use in a vehicle by limiting relative movement of an input lever and a mounting bracket. The retainer has a first part and a second part connected via frangible connection(s). The first part of the retainer is fixed relative to a mounting bracket and the second part is fixed relative to the input lever (via a pivot member). After installation, the lever is moved from its first, installation position to a second, in-use position. The application of force and movement of the lever rotates the pivot member, which rotates the second part of the retainer relative to the first part thereby breaking the frangible connection(s). The input lever of the brake actuator is then ready for use to apply or release brakes of the vehicle.
US08813600B2

An apparatus for moving a platform in horizontal and vertical directions relative to a base. The apparatus comprises a parallelogram structure comprising first and second parallelogram linkages each parallelogram linkage comprises first and second link arms and a hydraulic actuator to vary the geometry of the respective parallelogram linkage. A connecting member is connected between the parallelogram linkages to which a first end of each link arm and a first end of each hydraulic actuator are pivotally connected. The first ends of the hydraulic actuators and the first ends of the first link arms are connected to the connecting member along a first pivot axis.
US08813599B2

A gear structure comprising: a reinforcement member fixed onto a side surface of a gear; and a fixation section configured to fix the reinforcement member onto the side surface of the gear, the fixation section being provided on a line of contact action of the gear.
US08813598B2

A ball screw has a chain received in a circulation path of the ball screw, and the chain comprises a plurality of partition portions and a connecting portion for connecting the partition portions, a plurality of rolling elements are retained in the chain in such a manner that between each two neighboring partition portions is arranged a rolling element, each of the rolling elements is partially in contact with the return passage of each of the return assemblies to define receiving spaces in the return passage for accommodation of the connecting portion, so that the chain can be moved more smoothly in the return passage, and the manufacturing cost of the return assembly is reduced.
US08813594B2

A rack and pinion steering gear unit is achieved that is capable of preventing an increase in operating force of the steering wheel and auxiliary operating force from a motor, and improving the response performance to minute operation when traveling straight. A pressing roller 34 elastically pushes the rear surface 29 of a rack shaft 9 toward a pinion shaft 5. This pressing roller 34 is supported by way of a radial needle bearing 16a by a support shaft 33 that is supported by and fastened to a holder 30 so as to be able to rotate freely. A thrust needle bearing 35 that receives a thrust load that is applied to the pressing roller 34 is provided between both side surfaces in the axial direction of the pressing roller 34 and the inside surface of the holder 30.
US08813592B2

Two-gear transmissions for electric machines are provided, which include a primary shaft; a secondary shaft; a first gear set which includes a first driving gearwheel and a first driven gearwheel, one of these gearwheels including a first hub and a ring gear; a second gear set which includes a second driving gearwheel and a second driven gearwheel; an overrunning clutch interposed between the ring gear and the first hub; a first coupling device arranged to connect the ring gear for rotation directly with the respective shaft and comprises a second hub and a sliding sleeve; a second coupling device arranged to connect either the second driving gearwheel or the second driven gearwheel for rotation with the respective shaft; connection elements connecting the first hub for rotation with the second hub; and elastic elements applying on the first and second hubs a biasing torque to urge them towards an end-of-travel position.
US08813586B2

A starter motor is disclosed which includes: 1) a hollow yoke having an open end; 2) a magnetic field system provided on an inner periphery of the yoke; 3) an armature surrounded by the magnetic field system with a predetermined gap therebetween, the armature having an armature shaft; 4) an end frame that closes the open end of the yoke and has a bearing box formed therein, the bearing box being recessed inward of the yoke from an end face of the end frame and having an open end on the end face of the end frame, the bearing box also having a bearing disposed therein to rotatably support an end portion of the armature shaft; and 5) a flexible seal plate that is attached on the end face of the end frame to hermetically seal the open end of the bearing box formed in the end frame.
US08813585B2

A method for quality control and quality assurance of sized bridging materials rotates a control sample having a fluid portion and a solids portion of sized bridging materials in a tubular container for a predetermined period of time. The control sample is then analyzed in a laser particle size analyzer to determine a particle size distribution for the control sample. A wet grinding sample having a fluid portion and a solids portion of the sized bridging materials is then rotated in the tubular container with a loose cylinder rod for a predetermined time to simulate borehole conditions. The wet grinding sample is then analyzed in the laser particle size analyzer to determine a particle size distribution for the wet grinding sample. The two particle size distributions are used to define a shift factor that represents the relative strength of the sized bridging materials.
US08813578B2

A sensor system has a rotational angle sensor for detecting a rotational angle and a torque sensor for detecting a torque. The rotational angle sensor has a rotatable rotational angle transmitter having index elements. The torque sensor has a rotatable torque transmitter having magnets, which generate a magnetic field, and a magnetic flux unit for amplifying the magnetic field. The index elements and the magnetic flux unit are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner.
US08813577B1

A device used in making differential measurements of a flow includes a flow obstruction and a support arm. The flow obstruction's forward portion is a nose cone. The flow obstruction's aft portion is coupled to the nose cone. The support arm's first end is coupled to an exterior wall of a conduit, and its second end is coupled to the forward portion of the flow obstruction. The support arm positions the flow obstruction in the conduit such that a flow region is defined around its nose cone, and such that the support arm's first and second end are separated from one another with respect to a length dimension of the conduit. Measurement ports are provided in the support arm and flow obstruction. Manifolds extending through the flow obstruction and support arm couple the ports to points at the exterior wall of the conduit.
US08813569B2

An ultrasonic sensor includes an ultrasonic element. The ultrasonic element includes an ultrasonic oscillator for sending, receiving or transceiving ultrasonic waves, an element body having an opening for passage of ultrasonic waves formed on one surface, the ultrasonic oscillator being arranged within the element body, and terminal portions protruding from the element body to feed an electric current to the ultrasonic oscillator. The ultrasonic sensor further includes a housing having an opening formed on one surface for communication with the opening of the element body. The housing includes a receiving portion for receiving the ultrasonic element and a positioning portion integrally formed with the receiving portion to position the ultrasonic element in place. The ultrasonic sensor includes a printed wiring board arranged to interpose the ultrasonic element between the printed wiring board and the receiving portion. The terminal portions of the ultrasonic element are mounted to the printed wiring board.
US08813568B2

An operation-position detector having a tube that allows an ultrasonic signal to propagate therethrough. The tube has a plurality of holes capable of being selectively closed or opened by an operation and is provided with an ultrasonic transmitter-receiver arranged at a first end thereof. A signal processor drives the ultrasonic transmitter-receiver and causes an ultrasonic signal to propagate through the inside of the tube, receives a reflection signal corresponding to a closed or open state of each of the holes, and detects the state of each hole on the basis of the reflection signal, thereby detecting the operation position of an operation conducted by an operator.
US08813549B1

A testing apparatus for off-load and on-load unhooking simulation of the release device of a closed lifeboat includes two main mechanisms, two hydraulic jacks, two suspension ring bases, a pressure distribution module, a manual hydraulic pump and an air pressure buffer combined together. The testing apparatus of this invention can carry out drill of simulating off-load and on-load unhooking state of the release device of a lifeboat under circumstances of no risk, able to ensure safety of the operators during drill.
US08813543B2

A method for reducing imbalance correction weight usage during a balancing operation of a vehicle wheel assembly. An imbalance of the vehicle wheel assembly is initially determined and utilized together with an established acceptable threshold of imbalance for the vehicle wheel assembly to compute a reduced imbalance value having a magnitude less than the determined imbalance. Using the reduced imbalance value, correction weight amounts and placement locations for application to the vehicle wheel assembly are identified. Determined differences between the identified correction weight amount using the reduced imbalance value and a convention correction weight amount are identified as imbalance correction weight savings.
US08813541B1

Methods and systems for measuring atmospheric water content, are provided. The method includes measuring a first air temperature and a first air pressure at a first location in a compressor, measuring a second air temperature and a second air pressure at a second location in the compressor, computing a ratio of specific heats from the first and second air temperatures and the first and second air pressures, and determining an atmospheric water content from the ratio of specific heats.
US08813534B2

A method for removal of dents from wind turbine masts uses a dent pushing tool. The dent pushing tool includes a self aligning ram assembly with a central ram cylinder and removable adjustable length arms. At the end of one arm is a curved base. At the end of the other arm is a dent pusher plate. Removal of the dent is caused by extension of the central ram cylinder.
US08813533B2

A set of tooling for a progressive forming machine comprising die and tool units having internal complementary cavity portions for receiving a workpiece, one of said units being arranged to slide a limited distance along its axis and to be biased by a spring force towards the other unit when the units are mounted in the forming machine, the units each having an end face with a smooth surface finish adapted to press against the smooth surface finish of the end face of the other unit, the end face area of one of the units being relatively small compared to its major cross-sectional area whereby a high contact pressure between the end faces is obtained for a given spring bias force such that extrusion/cooling oil coating a workpiece received in the cavity portions is restrained from leakage from the cavity portions across said end faces during a hydrostatic trapped extrusion of the workpiece in the die and tool units whereby the die and tool units are capable of shaping the workpiece to a degree beyond limits of conventional cold-forming processes.
US08813528B2

An apparatus for securing a personal electronic or hand held device (PED), includes a housing for a “pull-tight” lock mechanism attached to an elongated, flexible cable looped through a plurality of corner pieces, and a lock for releasable attachment proximate the distal end of the cable for looping the cable around a secure stationary work object and back through a cable accepting means on said “pull-tight” lock housing. A releasable locking mechanism is disposed within said housing to allow movement of said cable in the first direction, but not in the direction opposite from the first direction when the cable is slidably engaged or “cinched” tight through the corner pieces and secured around the PED by the user.
US08813523B2

Provided is a glass lathe that processes a glass member by heating the glass member with a burner, wherein a reflector that reflects electromagnetic waves is arranged around a portion of the glass member to be heated. The reflector preferably has a spherical surface with a portion removed therefrom, and may be formed of a mirror surface finishing agent for SUS, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy. An inner surface of the reflector is preferably covered by gold, platinum, or rhodium, and an outer surface of the reflector is preferably processed to improve thermal emittance, by applying an infrared light emitting coating thereto.
US08813521B2

A float bath for manufacturing glass includes a slot formed in a bottom block of the float bath in which a molten metal is to be filled, a barrier member capable of being inserted into the slot, a receiving portion formed in at least one side block that connects with the bottom block so as to communicate with the slot, and a placing member placed in the receiving portion to be connected to one end of the barrier member.
US08813514B2

A Geothermal Rail Cooling and Heating System is a reversible system process that accelerates heat transfer between the steel rail used in railway track and the adjacent earth. It is comprised of the Rail Heat Exchangers specially shaped to fit tightly inside the rail web, a refrigerant cycling on its physical condensing and evaporative characteristics, a mechanical and power supply system, and an underground tubing loop system for heat dissipation or absorption. When the railroad track undergoes a range of temperature changes that results in rapid rail expansion, it may cause track buckling or sun kink. Upon detection of such occurrence, the system responds with cooling effect to slow down expansion, and simultaneously reduce the risk of track failure. By switching the direction of refrigerant flow utilizing the system built-in reversing valve, the function is alternated for the evaporator and condenser to enable heating instead of cooling.
US08813511B2

Methods and systems for controlling the operation of condenser fans are provided. At most discharge pressures, the operation of the condenser fans may be controlled based on a capacity of the compressor system. To adjust operation of the condenser fans, the speed of the fans and/or the number or operational fans may be adjusted. The control of the condenser fans based on compressor system capacity may be overridden at compressor discharge pressures that rise above a high pressure level and fall below a low pressure level. At the high and low discharge pressures, the fan speed and/or number of operating fans may be adjusted based solely on the discharge pressure rather than on the compressor system capacity.
US08813509B2

An ice making assembly for a refrigeration appliance includes an ice maker having a mold body defining a plurality of compartments for forming ice cubes therein, a heating element for heating the ice cubes to create a melted portion to assist in removal of the ice cubes from the compartment, and a harvesting assembly including a plurality of elements attached to a rotatable rod. Each element is movable via rotation of the rod through a respective one of the compartments to remove an ice cube from the compartment. Rotation of the rod stopping for a period of time at a stop position in which a removed ice cube can rest atop the harvesting assembly to refreeze the melted portion. Related refrigeration appliances are also disclosed.
US08813484B2

A starting device for a motor vehicle includes a pump connected to a prime mover and a turbine connected to a turbine shaft. The pump and turbine are hydrodynamically connected. A stator assembly is disposed between the pump and the turbine. The stator assembly houses a slidable throttle plate. In a first position, the throttle plate partially blocks a return fluid flow from the stator assembly, thereby effectively reducing the capacity of the starting device. In a second position, the throttle plate does not reduce the capacity of the starting device. The throttle plate position is a function of a balance of forces acting on the throttle plate by a biasing member and a flow of hydraulic fluid contacting the throttle plate.
US08813482B2

One embodiment of the system comprises a towable machine having at least one hydraulic motor arranged on the machine and operable to drive at least one wheel arranged on the machine. At least one hydraulic propelling pump is arranged to supply hydraulic fluid flow via a hydraulic circuit to the hydraulic motor to selectively drive the wheel. The system has a non-operative configuration wherein hydraulic fluid flow is blocked between the hydraulic motor and the hydraulic pump. A pressure sensor is associated with the hydraulic circuit to detect an improper pressure load when the circuit is in a non-operative configuration, and operates to trigger an alarm element.
US08813476B2

An apparatus determines whether or not there is a malfunction in a reducing agent supply apparatus having a reducing agent addition valve provided in the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. The reducing agent addition valve injects liquid reducing agent into the exhaust gas. A temperature sensing unit that senses the temperature of the exhaust gas is provided at a position in the exhaust system of the internal combustion engine through which the reducing agent injected through the reducing agent addition valve passes. As the reducing agent is injected through the reducing agent addition valve, the temperature decrease of the exhaust gas at the position through which the reducing agent passes is calculated by a temperature decrease calculation unit. Whether or not there is a malfunction in the reducing agent supply apparatus is determined by a diagnosis unit, based on the temperature decrease of the exhaust gas.
US08813473B2

A gas turbine engine has in flow series: a compressor section, a combustion chamber, and a turbine section. The engine further has a steam generator. The combustion chamber has a steam reservoir located at the upstream end thereof. The steam reservoir receives steam from the steam generator, and delivers the received steam into a combustion zone of the combustion chamber.
US08813465B2

A device for blocking ejection of crop material from an auger platform of an agricultural harvester features a shield for lying along an axial direction defined by a rotational axis of an auger of the auger platform reaching forwardly over the auger, and a flexible guard attached to the shield to run along the width dimension adjacent the free edge of the shield to hang downward therefrom with the shield in the operational position. A floating connection arranged between the shield and one or more shield mounts attachment the same to the auger platform allow floating of the shield upwardly out of a normal operational position, which is user adjustable. A flexible seal maintains a sealed condition between the shield and the auger platform throughout movement of the shield and in each of several user-selectable operating positions.
US08813463B2

A recycle container of metal or plastic includes sufficient material of a value that will provide a monetary incentive to the user to recycle the container. Supplemental material may be added to the exterior of the container such as the bottom and/or side wall. The supplemental material may also be placed in the container.
US08813456B2

A building connection between a substantially vertical wall stud and a substantially horizontal bridging member, using a separate and distinct bridging connector that attaches the wall stud to the bridging member. The wall stud is typically one of several sequentially-arranged, cold-formed steel studs in the frame of a building wall. The bridging member is typically a separate cold-formed steel member that interfaces with and spans a plurality of wall studs.
US08813452B2

Mechanical clips and pier cap assemblies are provided that may be used to construct solar panel mounting frames. The assemblies include a pier cap that is configured to be attached to a top portion of a pier, which includes an opening and a flange stop. The flange stop is configured to support a solar panel mounting frame member. The assemblies further include a clip that has an aperture and a tab, with the tab being configured to be disposed through the opening in the pier cap. The assemblies further include a bolt and a nut, which are used to secure a solar panel mounting frame member to the pier cap.
US08813439B2

A method of making an insulating translucent panel assembly such as a window or door lite is provided. In the method, a spacer between two translucent panels of glass or plastic includes a thermo-responsive sealing material. When heat and compression are applied to the spacer, the thermo-responsive sealing material softens and fully seals the spacer to the two translucent panels. A spacer designed to be used in this method is also provided.
US08813436B2

Generally, the subject matter disclosed herein is directed to, among other things, systems and methods for making up pivotably pinned structural connections that may be used for erecting drilling rig masts. One illustrative system includes a drilling rig mast having at least one support leg, a drilling rig mast support having at least one mast support shoe, and a pinned connection between the at least one support leg and the at least one mast support shoe. Additionally, the pinned connection of the disclosed system includes a pin, an oversized hole having at least a first hole portion, and a removable plug that is adapted to be inserted into the oversized hole, wherein the removable plug has at least a first plug surface portion, and wherein the first hole portion and the first plug surface portion define at least part of a pin hole that is adapted to receive the pin.
US08813433B2

A load bearing structure including a first fixed net layer, a second fixed net layer and a non-linear structure in between. The first fixed net layer may include a first layer of flexible fabric and a fixing material that fixes the shape of the first layer of flexible fabric. The second fixed net layer may include a second layer of flexible fabric and a fixing material that fixes the shape of the second layer of flexible fabric. The non-linear reinforcing structure may be in communication with the first and second fixed net layers and may be configured to share with the first and second fixed net layers a load applied to the load bearing structure.
US08813427B2

A threshold assembly for use with an entryway system disposed within a structure having an exterior and an interior. The threshold assembly has a sill base extending between an exterior side for facing the exterior and an interior side for facing the interior. The threshold assembly has a rail disposed above the sill base and movable between initial and sealed positions. The threshold assembly has a drainage element disposed beneath the rail having a height relative to the sill base and sloping away from the interior side of the sill base such that the height decreases from the interior side to the exterior side for providing positive drainage of any fluid that may infiltrate beyond the rail from the threshold assembly at the exterior side. The threshold assembly has a biasing member coupled to the rail and contacting the drainage element and biasing the rail into the initial position.
US08813422B1

A plant support structure is provided which is ideally suited for use with tomato plants. The structure includes a vertically disposed post with the lower end thereof being driven into the ground. A plurality of vertically spaced-apart support ring assemblies are secured to the post and which may be vertically adjusted with respect thereto. Each of the support ring assemblies includes a first ring member, a second ring member and a third ring member with elongated rods interconnecting the same.
US08813417B2

A water toy comprises an elongated buoyant body, a front attachment point, a weighted figurine, and a fin. The elongated buoyant body has a nose, a tail, a top surface, and a bottom surface. The top surface and the bottom surface meet at an outer edge. The front attachment point is disposed upon the bottom surface at the nose. The front attachment point comprises an aperture. The weighted figurine is disposed upon the top surface toward the nose. The fin extends from the bottom surface toward the tail. The water toy may comprise a rear attachment point for attaching a fish hook or lure and/or a water foil disposed upon the bottom surface at the tail.
US08813416B2

A fishing accessory for capturing a fishing bait anchored to a fishing line. The fishing accessory comprises a bottom end having a curved surface configured to seat against a fishing rod, and a top end coupled to the bottom end defining a cavity, the cavity having a first open end proximal the back end configured to receive an anchored bait and a second open end proximal the front end configured to support and capture the anchored bait while allowing the anchored portion to extend therethrough. A channel, extending from at least one surface external of the cavity to at least one surface defined by the cavity, extends from the first open end to the second open end and allows for the anchored portion to pass therethrough when mounting and uncoupling the anchored wire bait at the second open end of the cavity.
US08813413B2

An aiming sight having a sight body having a bore communicating between first and second body ends adapted to receive within in unflexed retained engagement a light conductive member configured to receive light along the length and conduct the light to at least one light conductive member end to provide a viewable aiming indicia.
US08813409B2

Disclosed is a remote contrivance refurbishment apparatus and related methods.
US08813400B2

A poster clamp comprising first and second members, the members comprising first and second gripping surfaces, respectively, for gripping opposing sides of a poster or a like, and a poster mounting system comprising a hoarding and a plurality of such clamps, and a wire on which the clamps are to be mounted for tightening a poster within the frame of the hoarding.
US08813398B2

A gift card assembly includes a substrate, a gift card, and a card carrying member interposed between the substrate and the gift card. The card carrying member is releasably attached to the substrate and releasably attached to the gift card. The card carrying member resiliently or movably carries the gift card relative to the substrate such that the gift card is allowed to be spaced from the substrate when the gift card assembly is in a displayed configuration (which thereby provides a three-dimensional effect to the gift card assembly) and is allowed to achieve a position adjacent to the substrate when the gift card assembly is in a stowed configuration.
US08813392B2

The invention relates to a shoe sole having kinematic properties on the basis of conventional materials (leather, rubber, EVA) or any desired combination of these materials in a single-layer or multilayer structure which do not block, but rather promote the natural rolling characteristics of the foot. In accordance with the invention, a shoe is equally proposed having a shoe sole of this type.
US08813388B2

Machining process for the manufacture of an insole for footwear, having a tape at the bottom face of the insole and around the entire periphery thereof, except only for that horseshoe arch that surrounds the heel of the shoe if desired, the outer edge of said tape being attached to and aligned with the edge Ia) of the insole so that the inner edge of said tape is free to be folded and detached from the bottom face of the insole. An insole for footwear is also described.
US08813387B2

An article of footwear is disclosed that includes upper and a sole structure. The upper defines an interior void that is configured to receive the sole structure and a foot. A lower surface of the upper defines a plurality of apertures, and the sole structure includes a plurality of projections that extend through the apertures to form a ground-engaging surface. The projections are connected to a foot-supporting member that remains within the upper. A locking system is incorporated into the upper and sole structure to secure the sole structure to the upper.
US08813385B2

A wig-drying apparatus is provided, comprising: a heat resistant fabric having six sections attached to each other at common edges to form a six sided chamber with interior and exterior panels joined with vertical stitching forming air ducts with holes in the interior panels, the chamber configured to hold a wig for drying; a wire frame within sleeves around the common edges of four of the sides of the chamber, the wire frame and chamber having a box-like configuration and a collapsed configuration; and a collapsible air intake tube secured at one end to an opening in one side of the fabric and having a second end configured to removably receive and retain an air outlet end of a blow dryer to provide hot air to circulate within the chamber and bake dry the wig when the wire frame and chamber are in the box-like configuration.
US08813375B2

In a handheld cutting machine that is constructed such that a user holds the machine by hand and performs cutting processing while moving the same, in which a lower portion of a circular cutting blade protruded from a lower surface side of a base that is placed on a cutting object is covered by a movable cover, an enough clearance is set between a supporting annular ring of a movable cover and a rotating boss portion of a bearing box in order to smoothly open and close the movable cover while a ring spring is interposed between the supporting annular portion and an axial restricting portion to increase dust-proofness of the a movable cover support portion.
US08813362B2

A method for filling a muffler with a fibrous material is disclosed. The muffler includes partitions which form a first chamber and second chamber, and a first muffler pipe having an outlet end. A filling aperture at one end of the second muffler pipe is positioned in the first muffler chamber. The second muffler pipe has a filling sleeve therein, the filling sleeve having a filling discharge opening that coordinates with the filling aperture of the second muffler pipe. The first muffler chamber is filled with fibrous material by applying a vacuum source to the first muffler pipe, which draws the fibrous material through the filling aperture. The filling aperture of the second muffler pipe is then positioned into the second muffler chamber, and the second muffler chamber is filled in the same manner as the first muffler chamber. The filling sleeve is then removed from the second muffler pipe.
US08813361B2

In a gas turbine blade where a part of the γ′ phase precipitation strengthened type Ni-based alloy base material is composed of a weld metal, the weld metal is a Ni-based alloy containing Ta from 4.8 to 5.3 wt. %, Cr from 18 to 23 wt. %, Co from 12 to 17 wt. %, W from 14 to 18 wt. %, C from 0.03 to 0.1 wt. %, Mo from 1 to 2 wt. %, and Al of 1 wt. % or less, in which the oxygen content is 0 to 30 ppm, the Ti content from 0 to 0.1 wt. %, and the Re content from 0 to 0.5 wt. %. A blade base metal is manufactured by the step of stripping, the step of solution heat treatment where the γ′ phase is dissolved again, the step of welding in an inert gas chamber by a TIG method using a welding wire where the weld metal can be obtained, the step of HIP treatment at 1100° C. to 1150° C., and the step of an aging treatment at 835° C. to 855° C.
US08813360B2

In a method for beam welding on components with a laser beam or electron beam generated by a beam source, the heat treatment of the welded component required to remove stresses is integrated into the welding process. In a work cycle combined with the welding process, a regulated heat supply to a selected region takes place, according to its residual heat resulting from the welding process and the predicted stresses in that region, using the residual heat remaining from the welding process following the welding process from the same or other beam source(s). The welding region is cooled in a controlled manner, so that welded components which are likely to be subject to high stress in use, provided for example for a aircraft engine, can be made available without inherent stresses and with the desired microstructure in a single—combined—work step.
US08813354B2

An electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding structure, which includes: a substrate, at least one chip unit, a packing layer, and an EMI shielding unit. The chip unit is disposed on the surface of the substrate and electrically coupled thereto. The packing layer is formed on the substrate and covers the chip unit. The EMI shielding unit includes: a first, second, and third shielding layer. The first shielding layer covers the outer surface of the packing layer and the lateral surface of the substrate. The second and third shielding layer respectively covers the outer surface of the first and second shielding layer. Based on the instant disclosure, the EMI shielding unit uses the methods of sputtering and electroless plating, to increase the adhesion strength of the EMI shielding unit and make the thickness of the shielding layer uniform. The instant disclosure raises the EMI shielding efficiency and lowers the manufacturing cost.
US08813350B2

A ball grid array presentment apparatus and associated method are provided. The apparatus has a stationary guard defining a first passage. A core is mounted adjacent to the stationary guard, the core being operably moveable between an unload position and a second position. The core defines a second passage and supports a workpiece fixture operably retaining the ball grid array. The unload position of the core operably aligns the second passage to the first passage, the aligned passages being sized to permit access to unload the ball grid array from the workpiece fixture. The second position of the core operably misaligns the second passage from the first passage whereat the core and the stationary guard cooperatively form an enclosure around the workpiece fixture containing a supply of balls that are not retained in the ball grid array.
US08813349B2

A device for separating electronic components including sawing means and positioning means, wherein between the positioning means and the sawing means at least one transfer position is defined for the purpose of transferring positioned electronic components. A separating device for electronic components including sawing means, positioning means, inspection means, and sorting means, wherein between the positioning means and the sawing means at least one transfer position is defined for the purpose of transferring positioned electronic components between the positioning means and the sawing means, and wherein between the inspection means and the sorting means at least another transfer position is defined for the purpose of transferring the inspected separated electronic components between the inspection means and the sorting means.
US08813343B2

An oxygen storage cylinder is stored in an interior cabin of an aircraft by providing a generally cylindrical envelope of flexible material receiving the cylinder therein and securing the envelope to a fixed seat frame. Circumferential straps are secured to a cylindrical wall portion of the envelope at spaced apart positions along the length thereof for securing the envelope and cylinder therein to an elongate frame member of the seat frame. End straps secured to intersecting frame members prevent longitudinal sliding of the envelope and cylinder therein relative to the elongate frame member of the fixed seat frame. The envelope protects the cylinder from direct contact with the frame to prevent friction or vibration damage to the cylinder while fixing the position of the cylinder in the interior cabin for the safety of surrounding passengers in the event of turbulence.
US08813340B2

An arrangement for mounting a substantially vertical mechanical element, as a technical front surface, on a structural transverse element of bodywork of a vehicle such as an upper crossbar, the mechanical element including at least one substantially horizontal portion or structural nozzle bearing on an upper surface of the crossbar. The arrangement includes at least one carrier plate for the mechanical element which is slid under the bodywork of the vehicle and then mounted vertically. The plate includes a yoke for receiving the vertical mechanical element and which is capable of holding the element between at least one vertical position inclined towards the front and a vertical position.
US08813338B2

An alignment device has a carriage, two rails on the carriage that are configured for a workpiece to pass therebetween, and a finger that protrudes a distance from the carriage. The finger is configured to be disposed on a carrier for the workpieces. The workpieces may be solar cells and may pass through the rails on a conveyor belt. The alignment device may move in order to align the workpieces as the workpieces are loaded into a carrier.
US08813331B2

A process of preparing a turbine rotor wheel, a repair tool for machining a turbine rotor wheel, and a turbine rotor wheel are disclosed. The process includes providing the turbine rotor wheel, the turbine rotor wheel having a dovetail slot, a cooling slot, and a dovetail acute corner formed by the dovetail slot and the cooling slot and removing a stress region from the dovetail acute corner. The repair tool permits removal of strained material while also reducing the operating stress of the feature. The turbine rotor wheel includes a machined portion resulting in lower stress for the turbine rotor wheel.
US08813329B2

When a chamber of an oscillator and one or more amplifiers is to be replaced at the timing when a predetermined period elapses, one of the chambers of the oscillator and the amplifiers having a low allowable deterioration limit is detached and this chamber is attached in place of one of the chambers of the oscillator and the amplifiers other than the one having the low allowable deterioration limit. Thus, the chamber which has been used in one of the oscillator and amplifiers having a low allowable deterioration limit and has not reached the limit of deterioration is reused in one of the oscillator and the amplifiers other than the one having the low allowable deterioration limit. This enables efficient use of oscillator and amplifier chambers in a multistage amplification laser apparatus, minimizing the labor and parts consumed for replacement thereof.
US08813326B2

An apparatus for compressing or decompressing a compressible body is provided. The apparatus comprises an upper nest arm and a lower nest arm separated by a rigid rod. The upper nest arm has an upper nest arm mounting feature configured to receive a first end of the compressible body. The upper nest arm mounding feature is shaped to fit the contours of the compressible body. The lower nest arm has a lower nest arm mounting feature configured to receive a second end of the compressible body. The lower nest arm can traverse the rigid rod to either compress or decompress the compressible body.
US08813324B2

A method for fabricating a piezoelectric multilayer are described. The method includes providing conductive layers. Alternating conductive layers are electrically connected. A first plurality of alternating conductive layers is electrically isolated from a second plurality of alternating conductive layers. Piezoelectric layers are interleaved with the conductive layers. Apertures are provided in the piezoelectric layers. A first conductive plug electrically connects the first plurality of alternating conductive layers, includes a first plurality of segments, and is in apertures in the piezoelectric layers. Each of the first plurality of segments extends through one of the piezoelectric layers. A second conductive plug electrically connects the second plurality of alternating conductive layers, includes a second plurality of segments, and is in a second portion of the plurality of apertures. Each of the second plurality of segments extends through one of the plurality of piezoelectric layers.
US08813320B2

A buckle suitable for use with a child restrain harness comprises a first strap fastener having at least one resilient latching arm, a second strap fastener having a base provided with an opening, and a socket movably assembled through the opening, the socket being operable to rotate relative to the base, and the latching arm being operable to engage with the socket to securely hold the first strap fastener with the socket.
US08813315B2

A buckle for securing strap ends to each other has an anchor peg, with a recess, attached to one strap end. Another strap end has a clamping head that has a recess adapted to allow insertion and removal of the anchor peg. A moveable locking mechanism in the clamping head can be moved from an open position, that allows insertion or removal of the anchor peg, to a closed position that prevents removal of an anchor peg inserted into the clamping head.
US08813306B2

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including an air treatment member and a suction motor. The surface cleaning apparatus comprises a main body comprising a front end and a rear end, and a plurality of wheels. A compartment may be positioned inwards of one of the wheels. The compartment may be accessible when the one of the wheels is moved to an open position.
US08813305B2

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet. A suction motor is positioned in the air flow path. At least one cyclone chamber is positioned in the air flow passage. An associated dirt collection chamber is exterior to the cyclone chamber. The cyclone chamber and the suction motor are positioned side by side and have generally parallel longitudinal axes. The dirt collection chamber may surround part of the suction motor. Alternately, or in addition, a pre-motor filter having an enhanced surface area may be provided by configuring the pre-motor filter to extend outwardly of the pre-motor filter, such as by overlie part of the cyclone chamber or the dirt collection chamber.
US08813297B2

A floor cleaning device includes a floor cleaning head and a pole directly or indirectly connectable to the floor cleaning head. The pole includes two sections, and a joint for lockably positioning the two pole sections in at least two different angular orientations.
US08813296B2

An oral care implement having a multi-component handle, and method of manufacturing the same. The invention can be a method of forming a handle for an oral care implement comprising: a) forming a core structure of a first hard plastic; b) forming an elongated handle body of a second hard plastic that at least partially surrounds the core structure so that opposing lateral surfaces of the core structure remain exposed; and c) forming a grip cover of a resilient material over at least a portion of the elongated handle body.
US08813294B2

The present invention relates to a cleaning implement for cleaning a surface, in particular for cleaning grout or the like textured surfaces. In particular, the instant invention allows for a complete cleaning of a surface with a multi-component cleaning implement having a replaceable melamine member that is held by a supporting member. To allow ease of cleaning, the supporting member further includes an abrasive film and an absorbent sponge allowing the consumer to thoroughly clean with a melamine member yet allow removal of all residual melamine and dirty water by the use of a single all inclusive cleaning implement.
US08813291B2

An oral care implement is disclosed comprising: an oral care region having cleaning elements; a body coupled to the oral care region; a gas outlet operably coupled to a gas source, the gas outlet disposed in the oral care region; an oral care material source storing an oral care material; an oral care material outlet operably coupled to the oral care material source, the oral care material outlet disposed in the oral care region; and wherein the oral care material outlet is spaced apart from the gas outlet. In another aspect, an oral care implement is disclosed comprising an oral care region having an elastomeric tooth cleaning element and an air outlet positioned adjacent the air outlet so that an air stream existing the air outlet causes a dynamic vibratory flexing action of at least a portion of the elastomeric tooth cleaning element.
US08813276B2

Systems and methods for turning a bedridden patient are described. A turn sheet system for turning a patient in a bed includes a bottom sheet having a first length and a first width configured and dimensioned to overlie the bed. A top sheet having a second length and a second width is fixed to the bottom sheet along a location extending intermediate of the second width and along a majority of the second length.
US08813270B2

A safety helmet includes a shield movable relative to a shell from an open to a closed position, and vice-versa through operation of a shield actuation system. When in the closed position, the shield actuation system permits the shield to be aligned substantially flush with the shell. Further, the shield actuation system allows the shield to be opened through a manual process that includes pushing on a lever or button to initially release the shield and then rotate the shield into the open position. The shield actuation system includes a number of plates with at least two of the plates in kinematic cooperation for allowing the shield to pop out and then rotate relative to the shell.
US08819855B2

A handheld security system comprises a set of handheld devices positioned at a group of access points to a secure area. The handheld device comprises a set of input/output devices including a text and graphics display, a camera, a local security database and a set of security devices including an RFID reader, a bar code reader, a magnetic stripe card reader and a biometric scanner. The set of handheld devices are communicatively connected through wireless signaling and protocol to one another and to a server operating a global a global security database. The local security database is synchronized to the global security database. A location stack table is continuously updated with security events and monitored for violation of a set of anti-passback rules. An association table associates a set of assets and a set of personnel, allowing for visitor tracking and asset tracking on a schedule.
US08819842B2

A method and circuit for implementing conductive microcapsule rupture to generate a tamper event for data theft prevention, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. A polymeric resin containing microcapsules surrounds a security card and a tamper sensor device provided with the securing card. Each microcapsule contains a conductive material. The conductive material of the microcapsule disperses onto the tamper sensor device on the security card responsive to the microcapsule being ruptured to create a change in resistance, reducing the resistance of a security mesh of the tamper sensor device. The microcapsules are more sensitive to pressure than a tamper mesh of the tamper sensor device and therefore rupture first, creating the change in resistance when dispersed onto the tamper sensor device. The resistance change is detected by the tamper sensor device and the security card is disabled to prevent data theft.
US08819840B2

A method and apparatus for provisioning a subscription product is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a request for a subscription product; retrieving a profile and at least one subscription associated with the profile, wherein the at least one subscription comprises a plurality of subscription details; validating the plurality of subscription details; retrieving product data for the subscription product based on the validated subscription details; determining a dominant subscription product when there are at least two subscriptions associated with the profile; and sending the product data for the dominant subscription product, wherein the product data enables activation of a product license.
US08819836B2

Approaches for limiting exploitable or potentially exploitable sub-components in software components are disclosed. In certain implementations, a first software component in the component creation environment may be identified. The first software component may include a first sub-component that provides a function that is exploitable or potentially exploitable to compromise the first software component. The first sub-component may be disabled such that the function provided by the first sub-component is not available via the first software component when the first software component is executed. The first software component may be placed in the component repository after the first sub-component is disabled such that the first software component is placed in the component repository without availability of the function provided by the first sub-component. In some implementations, disabling the first sub-component may comprise removing the first sub-component from the first software component.
US08819835B2

Method and computer program product for signature testing used in anti-malware processing. Silent signatures, after being tested, are not updated into a white list and are sent directly to users instead. If the silent signature coincides with malware signature, a user is not informed. A checksum (e.g., hash value) of a suspected file is sent to a server, where statistics are kept and analyzed. Based on collected false positive statistics of the silent-signature, the silent-signature is either valid or invalid. Use of the silent signatures provides for effective signature testing and reduces response time to new malware-related threats. The silent signature method is used for turning off a signature upon first false positive occurrence. Use of silent signatures allows improving heuristic algorithms for detection of unknown malware.
US08819834B2

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for automatically generating a fuzzer for testing a network device using the fuzzer are disclosed. According to one method, a functional description of a network communications protocol finite state machine is received as input. Operation of the protocol is simulated using the functional description of the network communications protocol finite state machine to generate a set of valid conversations in the protocol. A fuzzer is generated from the set of valid conversations. The fuzzer is used to send messages to test a device under test. Responses to the device under test to the messages generated by the fuzzer are analyzed.
US08819823B1

A method and apparatus for notifying a recipient of a threat within previously communicated data is described. In one embodiment, network activity amongst at least two computer is analyzed to determine a threat communicated to a computer of the at least two computers. Furthermore, the computer is notified as to the previous communication of the threat.
US08819821B2

A low rate DoS attack detection algorithm is used, which relies on a characteristic of the low rate DoS attack in introducing high rate traffic for short periods, and then uses a proactive test based differentiation technique to filter the attack packets. The proactive test defends against DDoS attacks and low rate DoS attacks which tend to ignore the normal operation of network protocols, but it also differentiates legitimate traffic from low rate DoS attack traffic instigated by botnets. It leverages on the conformity of legitimate flows, which obey the network protocols. It also differentiates legitimate connections by checking their responses to the proactive tests which include puzzles for distinguishing botnets from human users.
US08819817B2

Methods and apparatuses that maintain one or more data stores capable of storing local data in a device for loading a resource of a domain are described. The resource may be loaded to cause one or more data access operations on the data stores. Access to usage tracking data of the device from the domain may depend on at least one of the data access operations. The data access operations may be configured to block the usage tracking data of the device from the domain. The data access operations may be performed on the data stores for the loading of the resource. A web page may be presented to a user when the resource is successfully loaded.
US08819803B1

A method is used in validating association of client devices with authenticated clients. An authentication request for authenticating a client is received from a client device used by a client for establishing a session with a server. The client is authenticated by an authentication device. A token is created and provided to the client device. Identification information of the client device is gathered. The identification information identifies the client device. The identification information gathered from the client device is evaluated. Based on the evaluation, it is validated that the identification information corresponds to a client device associated with the authenticated client.
US08819799B2

An image forming apparatus includes: an internal authentication information storage unit that stores user authentication information relating to authentication for the image forming apparatus; an internal user authentication unit; an external authentication information storage unit that stores the user authentication information for external authentication, and a private IP address in association with one another for a plurality of URLs for external authentication; and a pseudo single sign-on unit that when it is determined that a redirection destination URL included in a response message transferred from a cloud server matches one of the stored plurality of URLs for external authentication, reads the user identification information for external authentication relating to the private IP address corresponding to a destination IP address included in a packet of the response message from the external authentication information storage unit, transmits the information for external authentication to the redirection destination URL, and performs the sign-on process.
US08819793B2

A method includes receiving data related to an individual, the data comprising a plurality of elements of personally-identifying information (PII). The method further includes building, via the plurality of elements of the PII, a compositional key for the individual. In addition, the method includes storing the compositional key and a biometric print for the individual as a biometric record in a biometric repository. The method also includes, via the compositional key, providing a plurality of federated entity (FE) computer systems with access to the biometric repository.
US08819792B2

A server storing a pool of unassigned access credentials selects an access credential from the pool, assigns it to an individual, identifies a mobile communication device associated with the individual, and pushes the access credential to the mobile communication device over a secure and authenticated channel such that the access credential is receivable by the mobile communication device. If the mobile communication device supports a proximity technology and is proximate to an access node that supports the proximity technology, the mobile communication device employs the proximity technology to present the access credential to the access node.
US08819789B2

Login credentials for at least one website, such as a social networking website, are received from a user purporting to act on behalf of an entity, for example, in the context of registering the entity with a system for electronic bill payment. Social data relating to the entity is retrieved from the websites using the login credentials. The social data comprises a plurality of social connections, each reflecting a respective relationship between the entity and a respective third party. A plurality of relevant social connections comprising at least a subset of the plurality of social connections is determined, each social connection of the plurality of relevant social connections reflecting a relationship to a respective third party that is deemed to be reliable. A reliability rating of the entity is then determined based on the plurality of relevant social connections.
US08819773B2

A system for security self-assessment for a computer platform. The system comprises a memory, a processor, and an application stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the application in association with a call to action transmits security self-assessment logic and at least one security self-assessment policy to a computer platform, wherein the security self-assessment policy defines at least one scan tool to be used by the security self-assessment logic when executed on the computer platform to perform a security self-assessment of the computer platform. The system further comprises a plurality of scan tools stored in the memory and accessible for downloading by the computer platform. The security self-assessment logic is configured to cause a processor of the computer platform to download at least one scan tool defined by the security self-assessment policy and to perform a security self-assessment.
US08819772B2

Techniques for in-line filtering of insecure or unwanted mobile components or communications (e.g., insecure or unwanted behaviors associated with applications for mobile devices (“apps”), updates for apps, communications to/from apps, operating system components/updates for mobile devices, etc.) for mobile devices are disclosed. In some embodiments, in-line filtering of apps for mobile devices includes intercepting a request for downloading an application to a mobile device; and modifying a response to the request for downloading the application to the mobile device. In some embodiments, the response includes a notification that the application cannot be downloaded due to an application risk policy violation.
US08819763B1

A technique for securely granting access to a target system to a user includes requesting a plurality of security policies from a plurality of distributed policy systems. It further includes obtaining a plurality of security policies from the plurality of distributed policy systems. It further includes granting a temporary grant of access that is an aggregate of the plurality of security policies. It further includes implementing the temporary access grant for the user.
US08819755B2

A data communication architecture delivers a wide variety of content, including audio and video content, to consumers. The architecture employs channel bonding to deliver more bandwidth than any single communication channel can carry. The architecture includes intermediate network devices that may receive content and send content using different groups of communication channels. The network device may process content received across a first set of communication channels for transmission across a second set of communication channels different from the first set. Such processing may preserve a program order of the content during delivery to a destination device.
US08819754B2

The present disclosure relates to playback of video/audio streaming media data. The media stream is available from the network at multiple bit rates. When a seek operation is performed, a playback device requests a lower bit rate media stream in order to quickly fill a playback buffer so that playback can commence more readily. After a seek start-up period is complete, the playback device can return to downloading the media stream associated with higher bit rates in order to increase the quality of the playback.
US08819747B2

A contents receiving system uses a digital broadcast wave or a broadband network to enable a user to suitably view main content, and provide a user with subsidiary content information desired by the user. Each of subsidiary content control receivers A (101), B (102) transmits ID information specific to each of the subsidiary content control receivers A (101), B (102), and a request for acquiring subsidiary content, from a communication control unit (405) to a main content receiving display unit 100. The main content receiving display unit 100 uses a content separation control unit (310) to separate a stream into subsidiary content corresponding to the request. Then, a request information input/transmission control unit (313) transmits the separated subsidiary content and the received ID information to the subsidiary content control receiver in question. The subsidiary content control receiver judges from the ID information that the subsidiary content should be acquired.
US08819745B2

An information system suitable for use in cooperation with portable media devices, such as an Apple iPod® digital electronic media device, and methods for manufacturing and using same. The information system supports a simple manner for seamlessly integrating the personal media device with the information system, immersing a user in a rich and intuitive media environment. When the personal media device and the information system are coupled, viewing content from the personal media device can be integrated “on the fly” into the information system via an interactive user interface system. The personal media device likewise can receive control commands and/or operating power from the information system. Thereby, the user can advantageously enjoy his own personal viewing content from the personal media device via the larger video presentation system and/or the enhanced audio presentation system of the information system, while recharging an internal battery system of the personal media device.
US08819740B2

A system for providing one or more interactive applications to one or more users via a wireless communications network, the system including: one or more servers cooperating with the network to substantially deliver one or more interactive applications to one or more wireless access devices each corresponding to at least one of the users; wherein, after the one or more wireless access devices receive the substantially delivered one or more applications, upon request of one of the users the one or more corresponding wireless access devices receives communication from the server to facilitate the one of the users accessing the one or more interactive applications using the corresponding wireless access device.
US08819734B2

A contextual navigational control for digital television is described. An apparatus, comprises a contextual navigation control interface (CNCI). The CNCI includes a first area that represents a plurality of cable television programs having a first level of relevance. A second area represents a first group of the plurality of programs having a second level of relevance. A third area represents a first subgroup of the first group having a third level of relevance. A fourth area represents a second subgroup of the first group having a fourth level of relevance. There may be additional areas representing additional sub-groups of relevance to the current viewing context.
US08819733B2

An assistance method for selecting a program using a display device (112) is disclosed. The method (1200) selects one or more attributes associated with a first program, the one or more attributes being selected dynamically by a processor associated with the display device (112) according to one or more predetermined criteria. The method searches for a second program associated with one or more of the selected attributes. The second program and the one or more attributes associated therewith are displayed on the display device, according to the search for the second program.
US08819728B2

An identification server correlates the web browsing behavior of individuals with their use of social media systems. Based on these behaviors, web identifiers (referred to as identities or IDs) may be matched to social media identifiers; these matches being determined, stored, and output as a confidences that the web identity of the user corresponds to a social media identity. Each web identity may be associated with one or more social media identities. The identity correlations between web identities and social media identities may be used along with other alignments to provide information regarding the time-based media (e.g., advertisements) a user may have likely been exposed to, topics the user is interested in, and to provide targeted advertisements.
US08819727B2

A digital video program is obtained. The program includes: (i) at least one broadcast segmentation message specifying at least one location for at least one broadcast advertisement, and (ii) at least one time-shifted segmentation message specifying at least one location for at least one time-shifted advertisement. The program is broadcast with at least one broadcast advertisement in accordance with the at least one broadcast segmentation message, and is made available to a subscriber at a time after the broadcasting, with at least one time-shifted advertisement in accordance with the at least one time-shifted segmentation message.
US08819726B2

Methods and apparatus for providing advertising information on a second user viewing device relating to a media program viewed on a first user viewing device. Upon determining that the media program is being presented via the first user viewing device, an ad programming signal is transmitted to the second user viewing device so as to present on the second user viewing device at least one first advertisement relating to content of the media program.
US08819724B2

Systems, methods and apparatus for producing, distributing and presenting media presentations include identifying, providing and generating a sequence of media segments from a plurality of media presentations, optionally in combination with associated interactive services, so as to define a media channel.
US08819723B1

A method and apparatus for brokering data embedding services. The method comprises the steps of receiving a request in an embedded data brokering system to embed the auxiliary data in the media program, determining if the auxiliary data may be embedded into the media program, negotiating a schedule for broadcasting the media program with embedded auxiliary data with the media program provider, transmitting the negotiated schedule for broadcasting the media program with the embedded auxiliary data to the media program provider, steganographically embedding the auxiliary data in the media program while collecting billing information regarding the embedded data, and providing the media program and the embedded auxiliary data to the media program services subscriber for broadcast according to the broadcast schedule.
US08819720B2

Tools are provided for distributing access-restricted content in an internet protocol television (“IPTV”) environment based on portable entitlement keys. Such tools can include a decoder, an encoder, and a network entitlement handler. The decoder may be configured to receive a key associated with entitlement information, and transmit the entitlement information over a network. The encoder may be configured to receive content from content providers, and to encode the content to create IP-compatible content, with access restrictions based on entitlement. The network entitlement handler may be configured to receive a request for requested content from the decoder; receive the access-restricted content including (including the requested content) from the encoder; and transmit the requested content over the network to the decoder using IP, when the decoder is entitled to receive the requested content.
US08819718B2

Methods and apparatus for collecting program viewership information are described. A viewership monitoring module is provided access to decrypted program content allowing program information to be recovered without having to capture output program content using a microphone or camera. The monitoring module is loaded onto a secure device, e.g., a home network device, such as a router used to deliver content to a secure playback device. Alternatively the secure device which performs the monitoring maybe the secure playback device. Since a user of the secure device or a company implementing the viewership monitoring process loads the monitoring module onto the secure device, the network used to deliver the secure content need not be informed of which network customers are contributing to the viewership information which is being collected.
US08819717B2

Methods and apparatus for detecting a channel change event are disclosed. An example method identifying at least one of a first muted audio condition or a first transient audio condition in a second portion of a media signal having first, second, and third portions, the first portion occurring earlier in time than the second portion and the second portion occurring earlier in time than the third portion, and identifying, using a processor, a channel change event in response to: 1) identifying the at least one of the first muted audio condition or the first transient audio condition; 2) failing to identify a second muted audio condition or a second transient audio condition in the first and third portions of the media signal; and 3) determining that a time domain length of the second portion of the media signal is greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold.
US08819714B2

In one system embodiment, a first receive-and-process (RP) system and a second RP system, the first and second RP systems each configured to receive a first broadcast stream corresponding to a service, the broadcast stream comprising either a raw Internet protocol (IP) stream or a non-IP stream, and each further configured to derive a first Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) stream and a second RTP stream, respectively, based on the first broadcast stream, the first and second RTP streams having stream parameters in common, the first and second RP systems each further configured to provide respective first and second RTP Control Protocol (RTCP) reports, the first and second RTCP reports based on the derived first and second RTP streams, the first and second RTCP reports each comprising information associated with a viewer experience, the respective information having a common benchmark as a basis for comparison.
US08819711B2

A wireless communication method for modifying a subscription that includes, receiving subscription information, demodulating the subscription information according to a wireless scheme, displaying a set of available program packages for subscription using the demodulated subscription information and allowing a selection of one or more displayed packages, wherein the subscription is modified as a result of the selection.
US08819710B2

An optical pickup device is provided, a cover of which covering a housing is prevented from deforming. A principal surface of an optical pickup device of the present invention is covered with a cover 13. The cover 13 includes: a cover portion 13G; a hole portion 13 provided at an end in the longitudinal direction and is screwed; an engagement portion 13A provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction and is engaged with the housing; and an engagement portion 13D engaged with the opening portion of the housing in the middle part. The engagement portion 13D placed in the middle part of the cover portion 13G is engaged with the housing to prevent the cover portion 13G from bulging outward.
US08819701B2

A cloud computing monitoring system has an alert capturing system and a message transfer system that provides performance tracking and alert management to a local monitoring system. The alert capturing system may operate as part of a managed code framework and may capture and route alerts that may be transmitted to an operating system, as well as application exceptions and debugging information. A message queuing system may transmit the alerts to a local monitoring system, which may have a connector that subscribes to the cloud system's message queuing system.
US08819685B2

A method and an apparatus for adjusting an input/output (I/O) channel on a virtual platform, and the method for adjusting an I/O channel includes: counting, by a host, current average I/O throughput of multiple virtual machines (VMs) operating on the host; increasing or decreasing, by the host, working threads for processing the VMs between front devices and back devices of the multiple VMs according to the current average I/O throughput; and adjusting, by the host, a mapping relationship between queues in the front device, queues in the back devices of the multiple VMs, and working threads for processing the VMs. According to the present invention, when the I/O throughput decreases, idle I/O channel resources are released, thereby avoiding a waste of the I/O channel resources; when the I/O throughput increases, the I/O channel resources are increased, resulting in an improved data transmission capability of the I/O channels.
US08819680B2

A computer system enables two virtual machines with use of two virtual CPUs. The computer system includes a CPU that is allocated to the virtual CPU when the virtual CPU performs computer processing of the virtual machine other than timer processing; a tick CPU that is dedicated to timer processing and is allocated to the virtual CPU upon receiving an interrupt request (tick interrupt) for causing the virtual CPU to perform timer processing of the virtual machine; and interrupt controller that issues the tick interrupt to the tick CPU.
US08819679B2

Methods and arrangements for on-boarding an application to a cloud. An application for hosting in a cloud environment is provided. Metadata related to the application is provided, and metadata related to the cloud is obtained. The application metadata and cloud metadata are compared, and the compatibility of the application with existing offerings of the cloud is ascertained. The application is on-boarded to the cloud.
US08819676B2

A virtual-machine-based system provides a mechanism to implement application file I/O operations of protected data by implementing the I/O operations semantics in a shim layer with memory-mapped regions. The semantics of these I/O operations are emulated in a shim layer with memory-mapped regions by using a mapping between a process' address space and a file or shared memory object. Data that is protected from viewing by a guest OS running in a virtual machine may nonetheless be accessed by the process.
US08819674B2

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for a virtual machine to access data from a virtual device, the method including: (a) attaching the virtual device to the virtual machine with a backing store that is a virtual image of a file system conforming to a predetermined file system format, wherein: (i) file system data is stored in one or more files, (ii) the virtual image includes metadata stored apart from the file system data, which metadata corresponds to the predetermined file system format, (iii) the metadata includes one or more directory records, and (iv) the one or more directory records include information that points directly or indirectly to the file system data; (b) issuing a read request for a block of data from the file system as if stored in the predetermined file system format; (c) accessing the metadata and determining the location of the requested block of data in the file system data; and (d) retrieving the requested block of data from the file system data.
US08819668B2

A catalog for maintaining a store of public and private limited distribution release software changes in a single location. A method for distributing limited distribution release software changes to clients via a network comprises receiving a search request, authenticating the client, querying a database of limited distribution release software changes, filtering the returned data according to a screening criteria, and providing the returned data to the client. A further method receives a request from a client to develop a limited distribution release software change, develops the limited distribution release software change, adds the developed limited distribution release software change to a catalog, notifies the client, and provides an interface to the client for accessing. A system further links knowledge base entries with related limited distribution release software changes.
US08819660B2

Techniques are described to allow substation of blocks into a virtual machine image of an executing virtual machine. A patch may be applied to a first virtual machine image. One or more blocks modified by the patch are identified and copied to a host having a virtual machine executing from a virtual machine image that is based on the first virtual machine image (prior to the patch). While the virtual machine is executing, the substitution blocks are applied (supersede) corresponding original blocks in the virtual machine image. A guest operating system in the virtual machine may either begin using an executable file in a substitution block. In addition, the guest operating system may be forced to flush from memory and cache executable code replaced by the substitution block.
US08819647B2

Nested virtual machines cooperate with one another to improve system performance. In particular, an outer virtual machine performs tasks on behalf of an inner virtual machine to improve system performance. One such task includes translation of instructions for the inner virtual machine.
US08819646B2

A software unit arrangement method includes developing a standardized software-hardware abstraction software layer in a software unit. The standardized abstraction software layer includes a library of primitives that interface with the source codes of the software unit and with a real or virtual computer hardware unit. The method includes developing a real-hardware or virtual-hardware software layer in the associated computer hardware unit. The real-hardware or virtual-hardware software layer forming the portion of the computer hardware unit that interfaces with the standardized abstraction software layer and that presents real and/or virtual input/output cards performing at least the same functions as the real standard input/output cards of the real computer hardware unit.
US08819643B1

A device receives information generated by execution of a parallel program, aggregates the received information, generates one or more performance indicators for the parallel program on one of a line or function basis and based on the aggregated information, and provides the one or more performance indicators to a user.
US08819641B1

A method of analyzing program execution status for use with a computer software debugger that includes identifying one or more non-deterministic execution steps in the program in one or more threads and recording a state of program properties at non-deterministic execution steps to enable determination of prior program execution status.
US08819624B2

Device simulators and methods for using the same are disclosed. In some embodiments, the device simulators are capable of permitting accurate pixel to pixel and inch to inch mapping between a simulated display and a display of a target device. Web application development tools utilizing such simulators are also disclosed. In some embodiment, such web application development tools provide a convenient method to convert electronic document source files to interactive document web applications for multiple operating systems and form factors.
US08819623B2

A method of populating object property values includes receiving an instruction on behalf of a user. The instruction represents an input indicating selection of the object. The method includes presenting, in response to the input, a list of property names and corresponding default values associated with the selected object, and presenting, for each of one or more default values, a user input field. The method includes presenting, for each of the one or more default values, an enumeration of alternative property values when the enumeration is compatible with the corresponding property. The method includes receiving from the user, for zero or more of the property names, an updated property value that is a selection from a value entered in the user input field or the enumeration of alternative property values, and generating code operative to instantiate the object. The updated property values are associated with the properties of the object.
US08819622B2

Disclosed are methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for generating output computer code that adds a 64-bit integer to a smaller-length integer having a length of less than 64 bits. Input computer code includes a loop that includes adding a 64-bit integer and a smaller-length integer. Output code is generated that represents the input code in a format such as assembly language or machine code. The output code includes instructions to convert the smaller-length integer to a 64-bit integer, such that the conversion is not performed during each loop execution. The smaller-length integer is converted by subtracting an offset from the 64-bit integer, adding the offset to the smaller-length integer, and zero-extending the smaller-length integer. The offset is determined based on the length of the smaller-length integer. The output code preserves the integer semantics of the smaller-length integer as required by the input code.
US08819605B1

Systems and methods are described for simultaneously deriving an effective x-sigma corner for multiple, different circuit and/or process metrics for a semiconductor device. The result is an effective sigma that is representative of design intent. Some implementations account for covariance, and use joint probability as the criteria for the effective x-sigma corner (e.g., as opposed to a unique sigma level of each individual metric). Analysis results for each metric can be transformed to metric distributions in a common distribution framework, and a correlation matrix can be calculated. The transformed metric distributions can be input to a joint probability distribution set to achieve a target joint sigma level. The joint probability distribution and correlation matrix values can be used to back-calculate scaled x-sigma corners for each metric distribution. Simulation of the device can be performed at one or more of the scaled x-sigma corners.
US08819598B1

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for improving user navigation of a multi-page article on a small screen user device. In embodiments, as a user progresses through the multi-page article, pages and/or lines of text of the multi-page article are cached. In response to a user request to view the multi-page article in a full-page format, the cached content is compared against text of the full-page document and used to determine a presentation of the text that displays nonduplicative content to the user.
US08819592B2

Systems and methods for use in enabling a user to select one or more data objects from a plurality of data nodes. The method includes determining a data set of interest from one or more data sets. The data set of interest is depicted as a primary node in an available data node area, and one or more data nodes within the data set of interest are depicted as available data nodes within the available data node area. A selection of an available data node is received. When the selected available data node is a data object, the selected available data node is depicted as a selected data node in a selected data node area. When the selected available data node is a data set, the selected available data node is depicted in the available data node area as a secondary data node subordinate to the primary data node.
US08819589B2

While a user interacts with a networked host application such as creating or editing documents, the user is enabled to invoke (or otherwise act on) a partner-selection user interface presentation to explore available partner services for carrying out a desired partner function that is complementary to the host application functionality. The user is further enabled to select one of the partner services listed in the partner-selection user interface presentation, in response which, the host application automatically instructs the partner service to perform the desired partner function complementing the host functions performed by the host application in an integrated and seamless manner.
US08819587B1

A method includes transmitting, from a storage system to a user system, information that, when processed by the user system, causes the user system to display a current view representing the one or more items. The method also includes selecting, at the storage system in response to a first user input signal that identifies at least one item from one or more items that are stored at the storage system, a removal operation based on one or more predetermined criteria, wherein the one or more predetermined criteria include a view type of the current view. The method also includes performing, at the storage system, the removal operation with respect to the at least one item.
US08819586B2

A file access request is received from an application. One or more file types for the file access request are identified, and one or more file hosts supporting files of the identified one or more file types are also identified. A user interface is displayed, the user interface including a hosted area. Within the hosted area, at least one of the one or more file hosts displays a portion of the user interface identifying one or more files of at least one file host that can be selected for retrieval, or one or more locations that can be selected to which the one or more files are saved.
US08819585B2

Tabs or other display elements that do not comply with traditional “window” requirements can be individually presented to a user when the window containing such tabs or other display elements is hidden or obscured. The user can be enabled to perform tab-specific actions, such as closing a particular tab, or viewing a specific tab without interacting with the containing window. Executing processes utilizing such tabs can register them and provide order and display information. Subsequent tab-specific actions can be received and directed to such executing processes. Additional requests, such as for thumbnails and bitmaps, can be directed to such executing processes in order to implement the tab presentation mechanisms and to provide for the tab-specific actions.
US08819582B2

Methods and systems for processing and displaying content are disclosed. An example method of operation may include initializing two or more windows on a mobile device, and displaying a first window of the two or more windows on the mobile device. The method may also include receiving an on-screen switcher indication causing a display view change from the first window being displayed to a combination of the first window and at least one more additional windows being displayed. The method may also include determining a space amount for each of the two or more windows, adjusting a size of each of the two or more windows based on the space amount. The method may further include displaying a frame around each of the two or more windows with the respective adjusted size, and displaying each frame overlaid on top of one another.
US08819576B2

Systems and methods for facilitating an input to an electronic device are described herein. An example method for facilitating an input field of an electronic device includes presenting a menu item for selection while the electronic device is in a first physical state and identifying the menu item selected when the electronic device is in the first physical state. The method includes detecting whether the electronic device is in a second physical state after selection of the menu item and presenting an input field associated with the menu item selected.
US08819571B2

Methods, machine media, and systems that can manipulate preview panels are disclosed. In one embodiment, a preview panel can be transformed, in response to user interaction with the preview panel, into an icon representing the file containing the content displayed in the preview panel. The preview panel can, in one embodiment, be opened from a user interaction with a first icon and the preview panel can be transformed into a second icon that represents the file and can be manipulated as if it were the first icon.
US08819570B2

A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon comprises code for generating a canvas upon a display space, the canvas being larger than the display space and including an interactive element, code for navigating within the canvas upon the display space code for changing a status of the interactive element in response to navigation moving the interactive element within the display space.
US08819568B1

A windowing system for an electronic device that uses an electronic paper display may include a compositor, a frame buffer, and a display controller manager. One or more applications running on the electronic device may request multiple changes to windows. The compositor may determine multiple update areas, where an update area indicates the smallest area of the electronic paper display that should be updated as a result of changes being made to a window. The update areas may be stored in the frame buffer. The display controller manager may create a cumulative update area based on the update areas that are determined between a begin update instruction and an end update instruction. The display controller manager may instruct a display controller to update only the portion of the display corresponding to the cumulative update area.
US08819565B2

Embodiments of the invention may be used to enhance the presentation of a virtual environment for certain users, e.g., a visually impaired user. Because users may visit, and revisit, locations within the virtual environment, the state of elements in the virtual environment may change. Accordingly, audible descriptions of an object, person or environment, may be adjusted to prevent redundant or unnecessary descriptions. For example, when the user encounters a given element a second time, rather than describe each characteristic of the element, only changes to the characteristics of the element are described.
US08819558B2

An edited section information acquisition unit generates edited section information and edited section association information based on edit history information. Pre-edit content/post-edit content correspondence relationship acquisition unit groups consecutive edited groups based on the edited section information of the edited section information acquisition unit and generates group information. An edited section information display screen generation unit generates screen information based on the edited section information and the edited section association information of the edited section information acquisition unit, the group information, inter-group association information, section/group association information of the pre-edit content/post-edit content correspondence relationship acquisition unit, and input information of an input unit. A provision unit displays the screen information obtained by the edited section information display screen generation unit.
US08819554B2

A system, computer-implemented method, and tangible computer-readable media for media playback. The method includes receiving a request from a user to play a media asset, detecting capabilities of the playback device, detecting playback environment acoustic characteristics, optimizing media playback settings for the playback device and the playback environment characteristics, preparing the media asset for playback on the playback device, and transferring the prepared media asset to the playback device for playback. The method can further transfer optimized playback settings to the playback device. Media asset preparation can be based at least in part on the optimized playback settings. A playback profile can store environment characteristics and playback device capabilities. The method continuously detects changes in the playback environment characteristics, and optimizes media playback settings when detected changes exceed a threshold.
US08819550B2

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a touch-screen display. The apparatus includes first logic for generating a virtual assistant for presentation to a user via the touch-screen display. The virtual assistant has one or more anthropomorphic characteristics and interacts with the user via at least the touch-screen display to facilitate user access to one or more vehicle features. The apparatus includes second logic for automatically receiving data from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag in a personal item of the user to identify the user, automatically accessing a profile associated with the RFID tag, and automatically initiating implementation of one or more of preferences of the user indicated by a profile associated with the RFID tag. The apparatus includes a vehicle interface for coupling the apparatus to any one of multiple vehicles and communicating data between the first or second logic and the vehicle.
US08819547B2

Upon adding a visible electronic signature to an electronic file, deterioration in visibility of characters is prevented by arranging a character image data of a portion overlapping with a region of the visible electronic signature in an upper position layer above the visible electronic signature. There are included a step for extracting a character image data from an image data, a step for generating a character image layer data in which only the character image data is described on a transparent background if a region where the visible electronic signature is arranged and the region of the character image data overlap with each other, and a step for generating an electronic file with a layered structure having the character image layer data, the visible electronic signature and the image data in that order from an upper position of the layered structure.
US08819546B2

A method for mapping viewpoints and model levels of a first framework to a second framework includes receiving data related to viewpoints and model levels in a first format related to the first framework, mapping the received data in the first format to data related to viewpoints and model levels in a second format related to the second framework. The mapping is performed by organizing the viewpoints and the models in both the first and second formats across at least two orthogonal dimensions.
US08819543B2

An object including at least one element is moved on a document in which the object is arranged in response to an instruction from a user.In addition, if the object is moved to a boundary between two pages, at least one element that is included in the object and that corresponds to a break position of the two pages is detected.Then, a position where the at least one detected element is arranged in the document is determined so that the element is arranged in either of the documents of the two pages and an image corresponding to the document is output.In the above manner, it is possible to appropriately arranging elements in a document to output an image corresponding to the document having the elements appropriately arranged therein.
US08819533B2

An interactive multimedia diary system is presented. The system can include one or more interfaces for media content devices (e.g., communications devices, still or video cameras, audio devices, or any other suitable media content storing or generating devices). An interactive multimedia diary can be composed by collecting and arranging a plurality of media types (e.g., images, video, audio, text, etc.). Alternatively, other suitable data collections such as a journal, a scrapbook, an album, a log, a notebook, or a memoir can be composed. The system can prompt a user for input based on input previously entered. The system can scan input text for keywords, such as verbs associated with common activities, previously used or new names, locations, or any other suitable concepts and prompt the user for more information.
US08819522B2

A disk array apparatus, if a rebuild error occurs, stores information indicating an error occurrence place in a sector holding unit, and then stops rebuild processing. A host computer, if a rebuild error occurs in the disk array apparatus, acquires the information indicating the error occurrence place from the disk array apparatus. The host computer determines whether the rebuild error does not obstruct continuation of the rebuild processing based on the acquired information indicating the error occurrence place. If it is determined that the rebuild error does not obstruct continuation of the rebuild processing, the host computer instructs the disk array apparatus to resume the rebuild processing while skipping the error occurrence place. In response to the instruction from the host computer, the disk array apparatus resumes the rebuild processing while skipping the error occurrence place.
US08819516B2

A storage integrity system in a dispersed storage network scans an address range of data slices to identify errors in one of a plurality of encoded data slices, wherein the plurality of encoded data slices are generated from a data segment using an error encoding dispersal function. When the storage integrity system detects an error, it identifies one of the encoded data slices for rebuilding. The identified data slice is rebuilt in response to the type of error. For example, when the type of the error includes a temporary error, the storage integrity system waits a predetermined time period to determine whether the error still exists prior to rebuilding the identified data slice.
US08819511B2

Provided is an apparatus configured for testing a logic device. The apparatus includes a testing mechanism configured to output test patterns representative of logical structures within the logic device and a testable logic device having (i) input ports coupled to output ports of the automated testing mechanism and (ii) output ports coupled to input ports of the automated testing mechanism. The apparatus also includes a fusing mechanism configured to compensate for defects within the logic device responsive to a segregation of the type of defects identified.
US08819504B2

A nonvolatile memory device includes a first storage unit configured to store a plurality of first fault address information provided in a first test operation, a second storage unit configured to store a plurality of second fault address information provided in a second test operation which is performed later than the first test operation; a redundancy operation unit configured to, in performing a redundancy operation, determine the number of operation circuits corresponding to the first fault address information and the number of operation circuits corresponding to the second fault address information among a plurality of redundancy operation circuits based on address number information; and an address providing unit configured to read the plurality of first fault address information and the plurality of second fault address information, and sequentially provide the read information to the redundancy operation unit, wherein the address providing unit is further configured to detect the number of the first fault address information and generate the address number information.
US08819485B2

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for error containment in a system comprising detecting an error by processing an input signal by multiple processing units, and delaying at least one output signal of a processing unit to enable, in case an error has been detected, modifying at least one output signal of the processing unit that would cause propagation of the error through the system.
US08819471B2

Methods and apparatus that receive, at a wireless device, power through wire or inductive pad are described. The received power is monitored to back up data from the device to a server in a network through an OTA (over the air) wireless interface. The data is transmitted to the server to back up the data on the device. While backing up the data, whether the power has been removed from the device is determined. The backing up of the data in the device can be terminated automatically and without user request, in response to the determination that the power has been removed.
US08819470B2

A switching device is comprising connectors and switching part, which is connected via the connectors to a working power supply unit, a redundant power supply unit, a battery unit and a power supply output terminal, and, in an initial state, connects the power supply output terminal and the working power supply unit, and connects the battery unit and the redundant power supply unit is connected, and in a spare state, cuts a connection between the battery unit and the redundant power supply unit, and connects the power supply output terminal and the redundant power supply unit.
US08819451B2

A method and system for cryptographically indexing, searching for, and retrieving documents is provided. In some embodiments, an encryption system is provided that generates a document index that allows users to retrieve documents by performing encrypted queries for keywords associated with the documents. In some embodiments, each keyword maps to the same number of encrypted document identifiers. In some embodiments, an extractor graph is employed to map an indication of each keyword to a number of buckets storing encrypted document identifiers. In some embodiments, an order-preserving encryption system is provided. The encryption system uses an ordered index that maps encrypted instances of ordered attribute values to documents that are associated with those values. The ordered index enables queries containing query operators that rely on order, such as less than (“<”) or greater than (“>”), to be successfully performed on encrypted attribute values.
US08819448B2

A system and method for protecting information on a mobile device. The method and apparatus obtain a predetermined portion of asymmetric information upon an input of the asymmetric information in the mobile device; generate an identifier by using a first generating algorithm that uses the predetermined portion of the asymmetric information as an algorithm input; generate an encryption key by using a second generating algorithm that uses the predetermined portion of the asymmetric information as an algorithm input; generate ciphered information by using an encryption algorithm that uses the encryption key and the information as algorithm inputs; associate the identifier with the ciphered information; and store the ciphered information as associated with the identifier.
US08819447B2

A wireless communication device comprises first processing circuitry configured to execute an RF operating system and second processing circuitry configured to execute an open operating system, wherein the first processing circuitry is linked to a secure memory device inaccessible to the second processing circuitry. The RF operating system is configured to receive protected data and store the protected data in the secure memory device. The open operating system is configured to receive a request for the protected data from one of a plurality of user applications and transfer the request to the RF operating system. In response to the request for the protected data, the RF operating system is configured to retrieve the protected data from the secure memory device, encrypt the protected data, and transfer the encrypted protected data to the open operating system for delivery to the one of the user applications associated with the request.
US08819445B2

Authentication data is received, from a first computing device, based on data received by the first computing device from a wireless token device, the authentication data used to authenticate a first user to a particular computing session hosted remote from the first computing device. The first computing device is authenticated to the particular computing session based on the received authentication data. The first computing device is permitted to consume resources of the particular computing session. In some instances, the data received by the first computing device from the wireless token device includes the authentication data.
US08819440B2

Techniques relating to directed signature workflow of a document are described. In one instance, a process enables a publishing user to populate a body portion of a document with content. The process also allows the publishing user to populate an associated digital signature definitions portion of the document with at least one requested consuming user's name and at least one condition associated with a digital signature of the requested consuming user.
US08819424B2

An intermediary system that facilitates a connection request from a client to a server. The intermediary system may participate in either or both of a token creation phase and a server connection phase. If participating in the token creation phase, the intermediary system generates a token that may later be used by the client during a server connection phase. The token includes a session identifier and is returned to the client. If participating in the server connection phase, the intermediary receives the token, extracts the session identifier from the token, and compares against the session identifier for the session in which the token was created. If the session identifiers match, then the intermediary connects to the server to complete the connection request.
US08819419B2

The present invention provides a dynamic, easily configurable system, which can be used to encrypt or otherwise hide the internal structure of a network. The present invention protects access to computing systems via a URL by encrypting all or a portion of the URL during the transmission of information over a network. Prior to the actual transmission of the information, fields in the URL can be encrypted using conventional encryption techniques. The encryption will occur after the destination has been determined such that the encryption will not cause the information to be misdirected to a wrong destination. At the destination location, there is first a determination that this URL is an encrypted URL. At this point, a decryption technique is employed based on the predetermined encryption scheme to decrypt the URL. The full URL is now accessed only by the destination location and is not accessible during travel over the network between the originating and destination locations.
US08819418B2

A communication system includes a certificate authority for performing authentication, a roadside device, a vehicle-mounted terminal, a first server, and a second server. The vehicle-mounted terminal transmits position information to the first server. The certificate authority acquires information about a vehicle-mounted terminal likely to appear according to place and time from the first server. The certificate authority allows the second server to verify validity of a certificate for a vehicle-mounted terminal acquired from the first server. The certificate authority generates a first list of vehicle-mounted terminals having valid certificates and a second list of vehicle-mounted terminals having invalid certificates according to place and time based on a verification result. The certificate authority transmits the first and second lists to the roadside device and the vehicle-mounted terminal. The roadside device and the vehicle-mounted terminal verify a certificate using the received first and second lists thereby reducing the certificate verification time.
US08819417B2

A validation server using HSM, which reduces required process time from receiving a validation request to responding with a validation result, and comprises a first software cryptographic module 142 and a second software cryptographic module 143 on a validation server 130 whose HSM is coupled with an I/F part 148. According to the validation server, load states of HSM, the first software cryptographic module 142 and the second software cryptographic module 143 are monitored by a cryptographic module monitor unit 141, and when cryptographic calculations in a validation process of certificates are conducted, the cryptographic calculations are executed by using the least loaded cryptographic module selected at a cryptographic module selector unit 140.
US08819416B2

Modular authentication and session management involves the use of discrete modules to perform specific tasks in a networked computing environment. There may be a separate authentication server that verifies the identity of the user and an authorization client that grants various levels of access to users. There may also be an authentication client that receives an initial request from a requesting application and forwards the request to the authentication server to verify the identity of the use. The authorization client may then be invoked to provide the necessary level of access. The use of discrete modules allows multiple business applications to use the same modules to perform user authentication tasks, thus alleviating the unnecessary multiplication of code.
US08819411B2

An information processing apparatus connected to a network via a network interface device and capable of performing encrypted communication with an external apparatus on the network. When the information processing apparatus is operating in a normal power mode, a sleep control module thereof detects whether a condition under which the apparatus shifts to an energy saving mode in which power consumption is smaller than in the normal power mode is satisfied. When the condition is detected to be satisfied, a proxy response registration module of the apparatus instructs an IPSec module of the same to request the external apparatus not to perform encrypted communication.
US08819406B2

An information processing device including: a data processing unit that generates content for transmitting to a client; and a communication unit that transmits the generated content of the data processing unit, wherein the data processing unit generates, based on basic encrypted content having a plurality of units that each includes a SEED that is data for encryption key generation and a block that is encrypted data that is encrypted by an encryption key generated using the SEED, each data of (a) converted encrypted content on which conversion processing to replace the SEED with dummy data or to delete the SEED is performed, and (b) encrypted SEED that is the SEED encrypted by content transmission processing or by individual keys that are different by units of users at a transmission destination, and transmits the generated converted encrypted content and encrypted SEED as data provided to the client via the communication unit.
US08819404B2

A method of disseminating advertisements includes the step of transmitting to a media device (110) an embedded media player page for playing a media file. The embedded media player page allows a user of the media device (110) to create a bookmark for a browser. The bookmark points to the embedded media player page. The bookmark includes an address of the media file as a parameter. When the bookmark is used in the browser to play the media file, the embedded media player page instructs the media device (110) to request an advertisement from an advertisement server (104) for display in the embedded media player page.
US08819399B1

Some embodiments provide a system that executes a native code module. During operation, the system obtains the native code module. Next, the system loads the native code module into a secure runtime environment. Finally, the system safely executes the native code module in the secure runtime environment by using a set of software fault isolation (SFI) mechanisms that use predicated store instructions and predicated control flow instructions, wherein each predicated instruction from the predicated store instructions and the predicated control flow instructions is executed if a mask condition associated with the predicated instruction is met.
US08819397B2

Methods and apparatuses are provided for increased efficiency in a processor via control word prediction. The apparatus comprises an operational unit capable of determining whether an instruction will change a first control word to a second control word for processing dependent instructions. Execution units process the dependent instructions using a predicted control word and compare the second control word to the predicted control word. A scheduling unit causes the execution units to reprocess the dependent instructions when the predicted control word does not match the second control word. The method comprises determining that an instruction will change a first control word to a second control word and processing the dependent instructions using a predicted control word. The second control word is compared to the predicted control word and the dependent instructions are reprocessed using the second control word when the predicted control word does not match the second control word.
US08819394B2

Methods, apparatus, and instructions for performing string comparison operations. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes execution resources to execute a first instruction. In response to the first instruction, said execution resources store a result of a comparison between each data element of a first and second operand corresponding to a first and second text string, respectively.
US08819393B2

Host page management assist functions are employed to manage storage of a pageable mode virtual environment. These functions enable storage to be managed by a processor of the environment absent intervention of a host of the environment. The functions include a resolve host page function; a pin function; and unpin functions.
US08819387B2

A memory storage device, a memory controller, and a method for identifying a valid data are provided. A rewritable non-volatile memory chip of the memory storage device includes physical blocks. Each of the physical blocks has physical pages. In the present method, logical blocks are configured and mapped to a portion of the physical blocks, wherein each of the logical blocks has logical pages. When a data to be written by a host system into a specific logical page is received, a substitute physical block is selected, the data is written into a specific physical page in the substitute physical block, and the address of a physical page in which a previous data corresponding to the specific logic page is written is recorded into the specific physical page. Thereby, a physical page containing the latest valid data can be identified among several physical pages corresponding to a same logical page.
US08819384B1

Aspects of the disclosure provide a virtual memory management method that can reduce memory requirement and improve system performance. The method can include detecting a scenario, matching the detected scenario with a predefined scenario that includes a pre-set mapping relationship of a first module to a dynamic memory address within a first portion of a dynamic memory, and writing the first module from a static memory to the first portion of the dynamic memory at the dynamic memory address. Further, the method can include executing the first module from the dynamic memory. In addition, the method can include storing a second module at a second portion of the dynamic memory independent of the detected scenario.
US08819379B2

A method for optimizing memory bandwidth using bank-based memory allocation is described. The method includes receiving a request for an allocation of memory. In response to receiving the request, memory is allocated to the request based on a performance ranking of memory banks in a plurality of memory banks. A performance ranking of a particular memory bank may be based at least in part on both a busyness and a row hit ratio of the particular memory bank. Apparatus and computer readable media are also described.
US08819378B2

A data processing apparatus has processing circuitry for executing a memory access instruction in order to generate a memory transaction comprising at least one address transfer specifying a memory address, and at least one associated data transfer specifying data to be accessed at the specified memory address. The apparatus is arranged to route each address transfer and associated data transfer via a first interface when the specified memory address is within a first memory address range, or to route each address transfer and associated data transfer via a second interface when the specified memory address is within a second memory address range and is further configured, when using the first interface, to execute the memory access instruction so as to cause each address transfer and associated data transfer to be presented at the first interface with a first relative timing.
US08819364B2

An acquisition unit of an information processing apparatus acquires access information indicating the state of access to a volume of a disk device at least for data read. A determination unit detects a volume in which a sequential read was performed, on the basis of the acquired access information, and determines the volume as a backup source for a backup.
US08819357B2

Metadata of a shared file in a clustered file system is changed in a way that ensures cache coherence amongst servers that can simultaneously access the shared file. Before a server changes the metadata of the shared file, it waits until no other server is attempting to access the shared file, and all I/O operations to the shared file are blocked. After writing the metadata changes to the shared file, local caches of the other servers are updated, as needed, and I/O operations to the shared file are unblocked.
US08819356B2

An interface circuit that is configured to receive a first read command from a memory controller to read first data stored in a first memory circuit and a second read command to read second data that is stored in a second memory circuit, and transmit the first data and the second data to the memory controller across a data bus without a delay on the data bus between the first data and the second data.
US08819352B2

Embodiments related to a hardware transactional memory (HTM). An aspect includes setting a mode register of a processor core of a computer to indicate a HTM mode. Another aspect includes executing a plurality of transactions by the processor core in the HTM mode based on the mode register. Another aspect includes determining whether a first transaction of the plurality of transactions exceeds a failure limit of the processor core in the HTM mode. Yet another aspect includes, based on determining that the first transaction exceeds the failure limit of the processor core in the HTM mode, transitioning the processor to an assisted transaction mode by setting the mode register of the processor core to indicate the assisted transaction mode.
US08819350B2

A memory system includes a plurality of storage groups, each of which includes a nonvolatile first storing unit and a second storing unit as a buffer memory of the first storing unit and is capable of performing data transfer between the first storing unit and the second storing unit, and a plurality of MPUs. A first control for data transfer between the host device and the first storing unit via the second storing unit for one of the storage groups and a second control including a control for maintenance of the first storing unit for other storage groups are allocated to the MPUs to be performed independently by the MPUs.
US08819346B2

A computer implemented method analyzes shared memory accesses during execution of an application program. The method includes instrumenting events of shared memory accesses in the application program, where the application program is to be executed on a target configuration having p nodes; executing the application program using p1 processing nodes, where p1 is less than p and satisfies a constraint. For accesses made by the executing application program, the method determines a target thread and maps determined target threads to either a remote node or a local node corresponding to a remote memory access and to a local memory access, respectively. Also disclosed is a computer-readable storage medium that stores a program of executable instructions that implements the method, and a data processing system. The invention can be implemented using a language such as Unified Parallel C (UPC) directed to a partitioned global address space (PGAS) paradigm.
US08819342B2

An instruction in an instruction cache line having a first portion that is cacheable, a second portion that is from a page that is non-cacheable, and crosses a cache line is prevented from executing from the instruction cache. An attribute associated with the non-cacheable second portion is tracked separately from the attributes of the rest of the instructions in the cache line. If the page crossing instruction is reached for execution, the page crossing instruction and instructions following are flushed and a non-cacheable request is made to memory for at least the second portion. Once the second portion is received, the whole page crossing instruction is reconstructed from the first portion saved in the previous fetch group. The page crossing instruction or portion thereof is returned with the proper attribute for a non-cached fetched instruction and the reconstructed instruction can be executed without being cached.
US08819339B2

A technique is disclosed for non-disruptive migration of data between storage on hosts that do not share storage with each other. Aggregate relocation is enabled to operate between the hosts in the absence of shared storage connectivity. The technique includes mirroring an aggregate from storage of a first host to storage of a second host by using a sub-RAID level proxy in each of the first and second hosts to proxy data communications between the hosts. The proxy is used in lieu of the mirroring application in the first host having direct access to the storage devices of the second host. The technique further includes relocating the aggregate from the first host to the second host.
US08819337B1

A storage module and method are disclosed for determining whether to back-up a previously-written lower page of data before writing an upper page of data. In one embodiment, a storage module receives a command to write an upper page of data to memory cells that have already been programmed with a lower page of data. The storage module determines whether a command to protect the lower page of data was previously received. The storage module backs-up the lower page of data in another area of the memory before writing the upper page of data to the memory cells only if it is determined that the command to protect the lower page of data was previously received. The storage module then writes the upper page of data to the memory cells.
US08819336B2

A nonvolatile memory system comprises a temporary power supply that supplies power in the event of an unexpected power interruption. The temporary power supply provides power while metadata stored in one or more buffers is compressed and transferred to a nonvolatile memory device.
US08819334B2

The present disclosure relates to a data storage system and method that includes at least two solid state devices that can be classified in at least two different efficiency levels, wherein data progression is used to allocate data to the most cost-appropriate device according to the nature of the data.
US08819332B2

Upon copying data stored on a page in a copy source block of a nonvolatile memory to a page of a copy destination block, an access control unit of a memory controller copies data stored on a page associated with a first copy method to a page of the copy destination block after error correction by an error correction control unit copies data stored on a page associated with a second copy method to a page of the copy destination block without performing the error correction by the error correction control unit according to a copy mode stored in a copy mode storage area, and changes the copy mode associated with the copy destination block to a copy mode that is different from the copy mode of the copy source block.
US08819328B2

The embodiments described herein provide a controller and method for performing a background commands or operations. In one embodiment, a controller is provided with interfaces through which to communicate with a host and a plurality of flash memory devices. The controller contains a processor operative to perform a foreground command received from the host, wherein the processor performs the foreground command to completion without interruption. The processor is also operative to perform a background commands or operations stored in the controller's memory, wherein the processor performs the background command until completed or preempted by a foreground command. If the background command is preempted, the processor can resume performing the background command at a later time until completed.
US08819327B2

A communication system having one CAN bus and at least two devices interconnected by the CAN bus is described, at least one of the devices including: i) a CAN controller, which is suitable for transmitting CAN data frames over the CAN bus using a first physical protocol in a first operating mode; ii) an asynchronous serial communication interface unit, which is suitable for transmitting ASC data frames over the CAN bus using a second physical protocol in a second operating mode; iii) a first switching means, which is suitable for switching the first operating mode and the second operating mode depending on at least one agreement in effect between the device and at least one of the other devices; and iv) another switching means, which is suitable for switching the device to a third (restricted) operating mode, which differs from the first operating mode and the second operating mode, for powering up the device.
US08819320B2

In a logically partitioned host computer system comprising host processors (host CPUs) partitioned into a plurality of guest processors (guest CPUs) of a guest configuration, a perform topology function instruction is executed by a guest processor specifying a topology change of the guest configuration. The topology change preferably changes the polarization of guest CPUs, the polarization related to the amount of a host CPU resource is provided to a guest CPU.
US08819318B2

A baseboard management controller (BMC) of a server includes a general purpose input output (GPIO) pin. An voltage level of the GPIO level determines if a BIOS of the server or the BMC uses a serial port of the server. If the BMC wants to use the serial port and the voltage level of the GPIO pin is at a high level, the serial port can be used by the BMC. If the BMC wants to use the serial port but the voltage level of the GPIO pin is not at the high level, the serial port is be used by the BIOS. If the BIOS has been initialized, the voltage level of the GPIO pin is pulled up.
US08819303B2

In one embodiment, a method includes determining a request for a transfer of content where the request is associated with a user device. It is determined if a deferred transfer should be performed. The deferred transfer defers the transfer of the content with a completion by a completion time. The request is stored in a queue where the request is associated with the completion time. The method processes the request from the queue to transfer the content at a start time. The content is transferred by the completion time. The method then adjusts, for a user associated with the user device, a charging parameter for the transfer due to the transfer being deferred.
US08819302B2

An apparatus comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a plurality of intermediate signals in response to a plurality of input/output requests. The second circuit may be configured to generate a plurality of processed input/output requests in response to the plurality of input/output requests. The processed input/output requests may be configured to be processed by a drive controller to access a drive array in accordance with a protocol used to process the input/output requests.
US08819301B2

An apparatus is provided for charging a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device according to an optimal charging mode. The apparatus includes a charging module that is configured to obtain a descriptor from the USB device upon detection of the USB device on a USB bus. The charging module includes one or more descriptor entries disposed in a memory and a controller. The one or more descriptor entries include descriptor data, for matching the descriptor to a specific descriptor entry, and charging data, that specifies the optimal charging mode for the USB device. The controller is coupled to the memory, and is configured to match the descriptor to the specific descriptor entry, and is configured to initiate the optimal charging mode on the USB bus according to the charging data.
US08819299B1

A method and apparatus may be configured to create setup information, and perform the initialization and performance of an installation of a peripheral device of an electronic device. One example method may include storing a device identification (ID) of the peripheral device, extracting data and creating a data structure from existent setup information. The method may also include replacing a device ID in the data structure with the device ID of the peripheral device, and creating and storing a setup information file from content of the data structure. The method may also include creating and passing a request to at least one of a device driver of an interface of the peripheral device and a bus that initiates the installation of the peripheral device. The peripheral device may not be connected to the electronic device.
US08819291B2

A set of logical extents, each having compressed logical tracks of data, is mapped to a head physical extent and, if the head physical extent is determined to have been filled, to at least one overflow extent having spatial proximity to the head physical extent. Pursuant to at least one subsequent write operation and destage operation, the at least one subsequent write operation and destage operation determined to be associated with the head physical extent, the write operation is mapped to one of the head physical extent, the at least one overflow extent, and an additional extent having spatial proximity to the at least one overflow extent.
US08819289B2

A satellite orbit data compressing method includes: determining a compression method of a parameter value on the basis of a variation tendency of the parameter value in an orbit model approximating a satellite orbit; and calculating a compressed parameter value by reducing a bit sequence representing the parameter value using the determined compression method.
US08819286B2

In one embodiment, a plurality of data conversion modules are bound to a processing engine and a first messaging data set is provided to a conversion module from the plurality of conversion modules. The messaging data set conforms to a messaging format. A structured data set based on a first data portion and a second data portion of the first messaging data set are received and value different from the value of the first data portion is stored within a first element of the structured data set. The value of the second data portion is stored within a second data element of the structured data set. A second messaging data set is then generated based on the structured data set.
US08819278B2

A technique is provided for delivering an alert to a user. The technique includes identifying which single device of a user's multiple devices should receive the alert. A server is configured to collect device statistics about the user's devices and determine which device should receive the alert. Example device statistics include locations of the devices, last use time of the devices, statistics received from other applications that the user is accessing (e.g., email, search engine, applications, mobile apps, etc.), statistics from other users in the same location as the user, statistics from cameras, motion detectors, or proximity sensors associated with the devices, history/pattern of the user consuming previous alerts, what type of message is associated with the alert (e.g., email, SMS, picture, video, etc.), and/or whether a particular device is ON/OFF or locked/unavailable, among others.
US08819274B2

Selecting a network connection for data communications with a networked device, including: identifying a plurality of networks available for data communications with the networked device, each network having network connection attributes; and selecting one of the plurality of networks in dependence upon the network connection attributes and the direction of data transfer.
US08819270B2

An information processing apparatus for generating a plurality of images to be displayed on a display unit of a terminal device connected via a network and transmitting the plurality of images to the terminal device. The apparatus includes an image memory for storing the plurality of images; a first transmission unit for transmitting the plurality of images to the terminal device, an area determination unit for determining an area in which change between frames of the plurality of images exceeds a threshold value, a second transmission unit for compressing the determined area at a frame rate higher than that of the first transmission unit and transmitting the area to the terminal device, and a management unit for managing synchronization between an image transmitted by the first transmission unit and an image transmitted by the second transmission unit, generating drawing timing of each image.
US08819262B2

According to one embodiment, when receiving a reproduction instruction, a reproduction apparatus performs image display based on second image information acquired through a network. When the reproduction apparatus receives a stop instruction while performing the image display based on the second image information, the reproduction apparatus performs the image display based on received first image information after performing the image display for a predetermined time based on third image information.
US08819258B2

A streaming engine and method includes a plurality of input types configured to pass one of samples and frames from an input stream. A processing block is configured to process the samples and frames independently of input and output types and produce any kind of output samples and frames in accordance with processing elements employed in the processing block. A plurality of output types is configured to initiate a session which determines connections between inputs and outputs so that the samples and the frames are received from the processing block in accordance with the session to appropriately direct the stream.
US08819257B2

The invention refers to a method for performing communication on a bus structured network between master device and slave devices using a bi-directional data stream DSA for secure communication and a unidirectional data stream DSI for real-time communication. According to the invention the unidirectional data stream DSI is used for a certain type of secure communication between a master device and at least one slave device.
US08819256B2

One or more vendor extensions that may be communicated to and/or from a device that may communicate via media transfer protocol (MTP) may be specified within an extension of the MTP. The vendor extension may comprise vendor specific information such as proprietary supported features. Vendor extensions may be indicated as a device property and may be communicated to another device during initiation of communication. Supported vendor extensions may be specified in an MTP DevicePropDesc dataset as a response to a request such as a MTP GetDevicePropDesc operation. Alternatively, data from a current value field of an MTP DevicePropDesc dataset may be returned in response to a GetDevicePropValue operation. An MTP SetDevicePropValue operation may be utilized for selecting a vendor extension. However, the selection may be accepted or rejected by a device. An event may be issued to other devices when a change of vendor extension has occurred.
US08819255B1

A method, apparatus, and system related to relevancy improvement through targeting of information based on data gathered from a networked device associated with a security sandbox of a client device are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system may comprise a networked device, a relevancy-matching server, and a client device. The networked device may be configured to generate a preliminary data and/or a primary data associated with a user and automatically announce a sandbox-reachable service of the networked device to a discovery module. The relevancy-matching server may be configured to match a targeted data with the primary data based on a relevancy factor associated with the user. The client device may be configured to automatically process an identification data of the networked device and/or the sandbox-reachable service of the networked device from the discovery module and to automatically associate with the networked device based on the identification data.
US08819252B1

Transaction rate limiting is provided to monitor new connections. If the number of new connections requested by a particular client exceeds a predetermined threshold value, then the client may be frozen out for a configured period of time. By denying access for the configured period of time, the client is prevented from monopolizing a particular client. Additionally, if the client does have malicious intent, a denial of service attack may be thwarted. The denial of service may be accomplished without alerting the client. This prevents a malicious client from regrouping and attempting an assault via a different mechanism.
US08819250B2

A method for the computer-aided determination of a control variable using context information from one or more units to be controlled is described. This method involves a controller using simulation to ascertain a piece of simulated context information which is used as a control variable, wherein the simulated context information comprises a first variable which represents a presumed state of the one or more units at a given time. The controller compares a received piece of context information, which comprises a second variable which represents the actual state of the unit to be controlled at a time which is before the given time, with the simulated context information and checks whether the simulated context information matches the context information within prescribed limits. In addition, the controller requests a piece of updated context information from one or more units to be controlled if the simulated context information matches the context information at the given time outside the present limits.
US08819243B1

A delivery system, media, and method for communicating content to devices are provided. The delivery system includes a services aggregator and content aggregator for processing requests from the devices. The services aggregator processes the request to identify credentials for the devices that generate the request and to identify providers of content specified in the request. The content aggregator receives the content from the identified providers and formats the content based on limits imposed by the device. Because the devices are configured to allow the services aggregator and content aggregator to perform computational-intensive tasks associated with requesting and transmitting the content, the complexity and cost of the devices are minimized.
US08819239B2

Distributed resource management systems and methods thereof are provided. Distributed resource management system at least includes resource managers (RMs) and resource consumers (RCs). RMs obtain current usage information of the resources of the distributed resource management system and generate first distributed resource graphs according to the current usage information of the resources. RMs obtain identification information of the RMs and generate second distributed resource graphs according to the identification information. RCs obtain a resource expense information regarding resource expense required by a plurality of jobs and generates third distributed resource graphs according to the resource expense information. A compound distributed resource graph (CDRG) is obtained by combining the first, second, and third distributed resource graphs and then the jobs to be performed by a corresponding amount of the resources within the distributed resource management system are determined according to the CDRG.
US08819233B2

A communications system includes a mobile computing device having a dynamic address and mobile web server software. A network web proxy-server has a portal web page at which a web client can reliably and consistently establish an internet connection. In response to receiving a request from the web client to access the mobile computing device, the network web proxy-server forwards the request to the mobile computing device by opening an indirect or virtual communications link between the web client, the network web proxy-server and the assigned address of the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device repeatedly registers the current version of its address with the proxy-server. The mobile computing device, network web proxy-server and web client are commercially available, off-the-shelf components that require only targeted configuration changes to perform the disclosed intermediary forwarding operations.
US08819224B2

Methods, systems and computer program products for monitoring and analysis of network servers and web analytics programs are disclosed. A monitoring program, for example, is configured to monitor the status of web analytics program(s) associated with one or more network servers. The monitoring program may monitor server-specific metrics such as server free disk space, server available memory, server on-line/off-line status, report processing time, difference between system time and log file time, table size details, etc. The program may be configured to present status indicators to the user that are indicative of the health of the web analytics program and/or server. A user may receive an alert generated by the monitoring program regarding a change in web analytics program status. Additionally, the monitoring program may be configured to automatically take corrective action to remedy or prevent a critical event that may cause loss of data or delay web analytics reporting.
US08819220B2

To provide a fault analysis result classification function capable of reducing the time required to eliminate a fault in a monitoring target apparatus. The fault analysis results (fault cause candidates) obtained during the fault analysis processing are classified for the influence range of each of the fault cause candidates by analyzing which of the other fault cause candidates relate to the fault events of the apparatus abnormal state, which are used as the basis to derive the each of the fault cause candidates. Further, the classification results are displayed on a GUI.
US08819205B2

Provided are a content transfer system, a content transfer method, and a home server capable of backing up all backup target contents without having to transfer all backup target contents. This content transfer system includes a home storage and an online storage. The home storage transfers identifying information of a backup target content to the online storage and requests the online storage to determine the existence of a content that is identical to the backup target content upon requesting the online storage to back up the backup target content, transfers metadata to the online storage when an identical content exists in the online storage, and transfers the backup target content to the online storage in all other cases.
US08819198B2

Systems and methods for migrating a hosted account and IP address among shared hosting resources using static routing by migrating a hosted account and an associated IP address from a first network resource to a second network resource.
US08819196B2

The invention provides a mechanism for convenient management for configuring and selecting servers for running modules. The invention provides a method for managing a plurality of servers including receiving a request to configure a suitable server being suitable for running a module, locating an identifier of the suitable server from a table comprising identifiers of suitable servers, configuring the suitable server to run the module.
US08819193B2

A method of setting a network quickly includes: storing network setting information corresponding to a network connection device included in an individual household in a database of a predetermined server apparatus; transmitting unique device information of the network connection device to the predetermined server apparatus; detecting the network setting information corresponding to the unique device information from the database and transmitting the detected network setting information to the network connection device; and performing network setting needed to form a network in the individual household by using the network setting information.
US08819185B2

A computer-implemented method for the creation of composite internet videos from streaming video feeds serving as an intermediary between an internet video user and a plurality of separate internet video sources. A user may invoke the service from a web page and fashion a composite video from a plurality of sources without copying or otherwise disturbing the source videos. The user's composite video is defined by an edit decision list (EDL) which specifies the location of the plurality of separate videos, the “cut in” and “cut out” locations within the separate videos where the composite video will transition between the separate videos, and an audio volume value associated with each video.
US08819171B2

A system, method, and computer product for monitoring and benchmarking client devices from a server. A server, data center, and/or cloud computing environment may monitor certain aspects of a remote desktop session. The rendering, capture, and compression of a desktop may be monitored. The time between the sending of frames to a thin client can be monitored, the network bandwidth available can be monitored and the time between sending a frame and receiving a response from the thin client can be monitored. Based on these values, a benchmark for the remote desktop experience can be determined.
US08819168B2

Various embodiments enable an application to obtain information associated with a link to content without navigating to the link. The application can be configured to identify a link, receive input to attain information associated with the link, and send a request to a service for the information. In one or more embodiments, a service can be configured to receive a request for information associated with a link, ascertain one or more sources from which to gather the information, determine appropriate mechanisms by which to obtain the information, and acquire the information. Alternately or additionally, the service can further assemble the information into a consumable format, and return the consumable format to a requesting application or device.
US08819164B2

Versioning management provides for efficient and effective handling of varying policy versions, client versions and client platform versions in one system. Software version negotiation provides for simplified, secure policy management in an environment supporting varying versions of the same software product. In conjunction with parameter stripping, which resolves differences among varying minor versions of a software policy, software version negotiation allows for management tools of one version to manage client software, clients and/or client platforms of another version. Policy schema translation, in conjunction with parameter stripping as needed, provides a mechanism for converting policies that normally would be impossible to interpret on varying clients and/or client platforms to policy versions that can be understood by these clients and/or client platforms. Version targeting allows an administrator to push a policy to specific clients and/or client platforms to, among other things, address identified security issues or to provide version specific application enablement or enhancement. Together, these various versioning management methodologies simplify administration of a system consisting of varying policy versions, client versions and/or client platform versions while enhancing the flexibility of the system to apply policy throughout the system or any portion thereof.
US08819162B2

A system and method for low-cost, fault tolerant, EMI robust data communications, particularly for an EV environment.
US08819157B2

A point-to-point chat system and method are provided. The system comprises a USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) signaling interface unit and a chat control unit. The USSD signaling interface unit is configured to receive a USSD chat request message of an inviting party and a USSD chat joining message of an invited party via a core network, and to forward the USSD chat request message and the USSD chat joining message to the chat control unit. The chat control unit is configured to send a chat inviting message to the invited party after receiving the USSD chat request message, to start the chat after receiving the USSD chat joining message, and to receive chat information of the inviting party or the invited party to forward to the other party of the inviting party or the invited party.
US08819154B2

Techniques for use in messaging from a portable communication device having a camera module are described. In an instant communication session, the portable device displays a message thread involving two or more participants and a text input field for entering text. In response to an input to capture an image, the portable device automatically captures a photographic image via the camera module, attaches the photographic image to a message, and sends the message to at least one of the two or more participants.
US08819147B2

In an e-mail receiving apparatus, a user management table arranged to include each combination of a user ID that is used for identifying a plurality of users and a unique ID that is newly set each time a new user is registered in an S/MIME gateway apparatus. A received e-mail management table is arranged to include a plurality of records each indicating an association relation between each e-mail received from an e-mail server apparatus, and the user ID and the unique ID of a destination user of the corresponding e-mail. A main control unit is arranged to read out each record of the received e-mail management table, determine whether or not the unique ID related to the read-out record is in the user management table, and delete the read-out record from the received e-mail management table when the unique ID is not in the user management table. Accordingly, a system is provided in which, when a registration of a user of a distribution destination is deleted, received e-mails are properly processed.
US08819146B2

In a monitoring system for networked devices, a system, method, and computer program product for transferring monitoring information from a remote monitor to a central monitor responsible for monitoring devices on multiple networks. A communications link is established between a remote monitor and a message transfer server. Monitoring information is formatted into a standard format, encrypted, encoded, and sent from the remote monitor to the central monitor as an attachment to an e-mail sent via the communication link to the message transfer server.
US08819137B2

This disclosure discloses a system and a method for sharing mobile internet service. The system comprises: a mobile client node configured to send a message for requesting a shared service; and a mobile agent peer-to-peer network including multiple mobile agent peer-to-peer nodes which are configured to receive the message from the mobile client node and provide for the mobile client node the shared service requested by the message. This disclosure uses the mobile agent peer-to-peer node to receive from the mobile client node the message for requesting the shared service and provide the shared service according to message, to solve the problem that transmission and sharing of large files among mobile terminals can not be implemented in the related art, and thus to implement the sharing of resources among mobile terminals.
US08819135B2

A data mediation method involves receiving an incoming data stream from a data communication network; analyzing the incoming data stream to determine an inbound second-format message for transport in the network; processing a part of the inbound second-format message by parsing a selected subset of the message parameters; generating a run-time data structure to represent the parsed message parameters in the selected subset; processing the generated run-time data structure by applying a data mediation logic which defines actions to be taken upon incoming data messages, the actions including adaptation of the generated data structure by modifying any of the message parameters in the selected subset and/or adding new message parameters based on the parsed message parameters; building an outbound second-format message from the inbound second-format message and the generated data structure; and sending the outbound second-format message in an outgoing data stream on the network.
US08819134B2

A notifier sends out notifications to potential viewers or listeners of a broadcast stream via social networking systems or other communication channels. The notifier stores information about a user's preferences and identity on the social networking systems. After the notifier receives a notification request from a broadcaster, the notifier commands broadcaster agents deployed in the social networking systems or in the notifier to send notification messages to users of the social networking systems registered to receive notification. The broadcaster agents function as a proxy that establishes relationships with users of the social networking systems and then sends out the notification messages to the users with established relationships.
US08819133B2

The present invention discloses a method, a system, and a device for controlling a token for an auxiliary stream in a multi-point double-stream conference. In the multi-point double-stream conference, a Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) receives a token depriving request message, judges whether to execute the token depriving according to the identifier carried in the token depriving request message, and deprives the token when deciding to execute the token depriving. The solution of the present invention effectively solves the problem that the auxiliary stream token is held by a certain conference terminal for a long time and the sending of an emergent and important auxiliary stream is disturbed and provides for the control of the auxiliary stream token in a multi-point double-stream conference to facilitate the need of a user.
US08819129B1

The present invention provides methods and systems for automatically managing conference calls. More specifically, a user may join a conference call by calling a universal conference call number. The user is identified and connected with a specific conference call number without requiring the user to remember the specific conference call number.
US08819123B1

Methods and systems for enabling transfer of web documents to a user device for subsequent viewing on the user device are described. A server computing system receives a request from a client computing system to transfer a web document to a user device for subsequent viewing on the user device. The server computing system converts a first format type of the web document into a format that is compatible with the user device, and sends the converted web document to the user device without additional interaction at the client computing system.
US08819122B2

A website hosting service provides a plurality of services, from a common service architecture, to each of a plurality of unrelated websites, each of the plurality of services being adapted to contribute to a distinct service package for at least a plurality of unaffiliated websites, wherein the web hosting service is marketed through a plurality of websites, each one of the plurality of websites offering a different market specific offering, wherein service representatives supporting a plurality of different market specific offerings are provided with information that facilitates providing the appropriate service for a particular market specific offering.
US08819116B1

Systems and method provide logic for providing a service. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method provides a service to a device based on a capability of the device. The method includes identifying a device type of a device based on information associated with the device. The method determines whether the device supports the service, based on at least the identified device type, and provides the service to the device, when the device supports the service.
US08819111B2

Requests for communications and for establishing communication sessions with an intended addressee are detected and notifications regarding the pending communication request are provided to the intended addressee. If the addressee is operating on-line in an IP environment, the messages are delivered to the addressee via a real-time mechanism. However, if the addressee is not operating on-line in an IP environment, a message is sent via an alternate means, such as SMS, email etc. For on-line addressees, if the addressee is presently running an application program, the type of application program can be ascertained and the notification message can be compatible with the rendering functions of the application program.
US08819106B1

Techniques are described for managing distributed execution of programs. In some situations, the techniques include determining configuration information to be used for executing a particular program in a distributed manner on multiple computing nodes and/or include providing information and associated controls to a user regarding ongoing distributed execution of one or more programs to enable the user to modify the ongoing distributed execution in various manners. Determined configuration information may include, for example, configuration parameters such as a quantity of computing nodes and/or other measures of computing resources to be used for the executing, and may be determined in various manners, including by interactively gathering values for at least some types of configuration information from an associated user (e.g., via a GUI that is displayed to the user) and/or by automatically determining values for at least some types of configuration information (e.g., for use as recommendations to a user).
US08819105B2

A system includes a data store and a server in communication with the data store. The server includes formatting modules having a plurality of formatters, validation modules having a plurality of validators, and a streaming module. The server is configured to receive messages containing financial transaction data from one or more electronic communication networks or one or more client devices. The formatters are configured for each of the electronic communication networks or client devices and convert the messages into an internal format of the streaming system. The validation modules are configured to perform a validation check on the one or more formatted messages.
US08819103B2

Controllers communicate commands in terms of goals and constraints. A goal is an objective. A constraint is information regarding how the goal is to be achieved. For example, a constraint may specify when, or how much of, a resource may be used to achieve a goal. Additionally, or alternatively, a constraint may specify an acceptable or expected accuracy or tolerance regarding how the goal is achieved. Each controller is expected to achieve assigned goals in accord with associated constraints. Thereby, system communication may be reduced. If controllers achieve goals according to specified constraints, the controllers do not need to provide updates or be updated regarding the status of activities of other controllers or regarding other operational context information. In some embodiments, commands are generally not acknowledged. Instead, serving controllers respond to a command with an error message if a goal cannot be met in accord with an associated constraint.
US08819099B2

A digital signal processor is provided in a wireless communication device, wherein the processor comprises a vector unit, first and second registers coupled to and accessible by the vector unit; and an instruction set configured to perform matrix inversion of a matrix of channel values by coordinate rotation digital computer instructions using the vector unit and the first and second registers.
US08819097B2

An apparatus for performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is provided. The apparatus comprises a reorder matrix, symmetrical butterflies, and a memory. The reorder matrix is configured to have a constant geometry, and the butterflies are coupled in parallel to the reorder matrix. The memory is also coupled to the reorder matrix and each butterfly. The reorder matrix, the butterflies, and the memory can then execute a split radix algorithm.
US08819092B2

Disaggregated resources distributed among resource nodes provide access to resource consumers by offering resource node information to the resource consumers. Resource node information supplied by each individual resource node comprises incomplete information with respect to the complete disaggregated resource. Resource consumers collect resource node information to create maps of the disaggregated resource, ensure coherency, or manage the disaggregated resource.
US08819087B2

Systems and methods for assisting one or more users in the production of a media work from a plurality of recordings are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, digital versions of the recordings are stored on a file-storage server accessible over a communications network. A media-library server provides an organized way for users to access and view the digital versions, and to associate various data files with the digital versions, such as transcription files, logging files, and storyboard documents. The exemplary media library generates web pages that enable users to search and access the digital versions from an internet browser running on a conventional personal computer. The browser also enables users to view the digital versions with a browser-compatible media viewer.
US08819086B2

Methods and systems are disclosed for naming methodologies for a hierarchical system. In one embodiment, a computer implemented method of organizing instance names in a hierarchical system includes receiving a description of a hierarchical system that includes plurality of instances arranged in different branches in a plurality of hierarchical levels in a physical data structure, creating an instance name data structure configured to describe the corresponding instances in the hierarchical system, where the instance name data structure comprises a map of indexes and a corresponding array of offsets configured to access naming information in a subsequent level, and associating names of instances in the hierarchical system to a corresponding set of unique integers which are arranged in a sequential manner.
US08819080B2

A system may include a data collector to collect data from at least one data source and to tag each group of collected data with a metadata tag. The metadata tag may include information about the collected data. The system may also include a metadata catalogue for containing a plurality of metadata tags and to allow a search for existence and a location on a network of any data corresponding to the search.
US08819074B2

A system includes creation of a first resource queue indicating an order of resources stored in a memory, the order based on respective timestamps associated with the stored resources, association of the first resource queue with a first queue timestamp, reception of a first command to deallocate a first amount of stored resources from the memory, determination that a first stored resource indicated by the first resource queue is associated with a timestamp earlier than the first queue timestamp, deallocation of the first stored resource from the memory, reception of a second command to deallocate a second amount of stored resources from the memory, determination that the first resource queue indicates no stored resources which are associated with a timestamp earlier than the first queue timestamp, and, in response to the determination that the first resource queue indicates no stored resources which are associated with a timestamp earlier than the first queue timestamp, creation of a second resource queue indicating a second order of second resources stored in the memory, the second order based on respective second timestamps associated with the stored second resources.
US08819072B1

A system and method that enables promotion of data from within a structured data file to a library is described. This system and method can also enable demotion of data from a library to within a structured data file. Further, this system and method can copy data from a structured data file, perform a function on the copied data, and promote a result of the performed function to a library.
US08819071B2

A personalized service system and method based on an ontology is provided, in which if a user selects a personalized service while a subject or an object in a user profile ontology of user's personal information is associated with a subject or an object of a personalized service ontology through a relationship name, the system and method searches for a personalized service ontology corresponding to the selected personalized service, acquires personal information of an instance form in the user profile ontology associated with the personalized service ontology, executes the personalized service by applying the acquired personal information, and provides the user with a result of the execution.
US08819061B2

A method executed at least in part in a computing device for providing cloud based skip tracing is provided. The method includes providing a cloud based service enabling data interchange with a plurality of vendors providing skip tracing services and receiving at the cloud based service and from a user a file of records for skip tracing. The method further includes applying a waterfall process to the records using the computing device wherein the waterfall process includes at least a subset of the plurality of vendors and returning to the user a results file containing skip tracing results corresponding to the records. The method may further include generating a waterfall score card and sending the waterfall score card to the user, the waterfall score card summarizing performance of the subset of the plurality of vendors.
US08819059B2

In one exemplary embodiment, a DSM is used to store the data structures in a cluster shared memory, such that updates, deletions and insertions are applied to both the persistent data set and the DSM, and search, list and retrieval operations are processed directly from the DSM. A data structure in the persistent data set is stored in two separate DSM pages: a first page includes an identifying search key of the data structure, the search key also pointing to a location of the data structure in the storage. A second page includes the updatable properties of the data structure. A DSM storing the data structures' pages is organized as a two-row matrix.
US08819047B2

The described implementations relate to processing of electronic data. One implementation is manifested as a technique that can include receiving an input statement that includes a plurality of terms. The technique can also include providing, in response to the input statement, ranked supporting documents that support the input statement or ranked contradicting results that contradict the input statement.
US08819042B2

Systems and methods are illustrated for transitioning data from one data store to another data store. The transition may occur according to comparison information received through a graphical user interface. For example, the comparison information may map data or columns in a source data store to data or columns in a target data store. A score may also be generated based on a comparison of the source and target. A report may indicate a successful or failed data transition based on the score.
US08819038B1

Techniques are provided for improving the speed and accuracy of analytics on big data using theta sketches, by converting fixed-size sketches to theta sketches, and by performing set operations on sketches. In a technique for performing a set operation, two sketches are analyzed to identify the maximum value of each sketch. The maximum values of the two sketches are compared. Based the comparison, one or more values are removed from the sketch whose maximum value is greater. After the removal, a set operation (e.g., union, intersection, or difference) is performed based on the modified sketch and the unmodified sketch. A result of the set operation is a third sketch, which may be used to estimate a cardinality of the larger data sets that are represented by the two input sketches.
US08819026B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for tracking an object as it traverses a sequential chain. The relationships between the object, its movement through space and time, and the entities associated with the object at a discreet point of time are captured by a sequential chain. A unique identifier may be created that is continuously modified as the object traverses the sequential chain. The unique identifier may be used to capture relationship information between the object and its related entities and movements.
US08819024B1

A classifier training system learns classifiers for categories by combining data from a category-instance repository comprising relationships between categories and more specific instances of those categories with a set of video classifiers for different concepts. The category-instance repository is derived from the domain of textual documents, such as web pages, and the concept classifiers are derived from the domain of video. Taken together, the category-instance repository and the concept classifiers provide sufficient data for obtaining accurate classifiers for categories that encompass other lower-level concepts, where the categories and their classifiers may not be obtainable solely from the video domain.
US08819014B2

Some embodiments provide a method performed by a digital slate. The method receives input of a first set of metadata for a particular video clip from a user. The method receives a second set of metadata for the particular video clip from a camera as the camera films the particular video clip. The method embeds the first and second sets of metadata in a data storage structure. The method transmits the data structure for later use in matching the first and second sets of metadata with the particular video clip. Some embodiments display at least a portion of the stored metadata about the particular video clip in front of a camera at the start of the particular video clip.
US08819012B2

A method, an apparatus and an article of manufacture for accessing a specific location in voice site audio content. The method includes indexing, in a voice site index, a specific location in the voice site that contains the audio content, mapping the audio content with information regarding the location and adding the mapped content to the index of the voice site, using the index to determine content and location of an input query in the voice site, automatically marking the specific location in the voice site that contains the determined content and location of the input query, and automatically transferring to the marked location in the voice site.
US08819002B2

An approach is provided that visually distinguishes between entity types in a communication system. A Data store with entities is queried, with entities connected to one another as senders and receivers, resulting in a query result. A node data structure corresponding to each of the entities is created and an edge data structure corresponding to each of the connections between the entities is also created. Nodes corresponding to the node data structures are displayed, along with edges (e.g., connection lines) corresponding to the edge data structures. A user selects one of the nodes that is displayed, and the selected node is visually highlighted. Different types of non-selected nodes are identified based on the selected node. Types of nodes may include sender type nodes, receiver type nodes, and sender/receiver type nodes. The types of identified nodes are highlighted in a manner that visually distinguishes each type from the other types.
US08818994B2

According to one general aspect, a method may include requesting, from a database and by a program executing on a mobile computing device, at least a portion of a business service context regarding a business service. The method may also include receiving, from the database, an aggregated database result regarding the business service. The aggregated database result may include the requested business service context and wherein the business service context includes information from a plurality of applications. The method may also include displaying, via the mobile computing device, at least a portion of the information included by the business service context.
US08818992B2

Content search involves receiving a user-formulated search query via a user device. The search query is submitted to two or more search domains. The search domains represent separate data repositories accessible via the user device. Results objects are received from the two or more search domains in response to the search query. The results objects are ranked using different ranking criterion by the respective search domains from which the search results were received. A rank value for each of the results objects is determined based on a single ranking criterion. The results objects are ordered based at least in part on the rank values determined using the single ranking criterion and sent for display in a user interface of the user device.
US08818990B2

A data item is retrieved from a data store in a data processing system. The data processing system comprises an index, which at least partially indexes the data store, and also a partiality definition store. The partiality definition store indicates a part of the data store which is referenced by the partial index. A request is received for a data item from the data store and responsive to determining that the requested data item is not referenced by the partial index, the data store is searched by using the partiality definition store to avoid searching a part of the data store which is known to be indexed.
US08818985B2

A method of prioritizing feed items based on rules is provided. User input establishes one or more rules to prioritize a feed item, wherein at least one of the one or more rules incorporates the input data. Such user input may include user-created data or feed metrics. The one or more rules may be weighted. Additional user input configures one or more message cues. A plurality of feed items are prioritized based on the one or more rules. The plurality of feed items are associated with a plurality of feeds, wherein each feed is associated with an object stored in a database system. The plurality of feed items are then displayed in combination with the one or more message cues to a plurality of users of the database system.
US08818981B2

Selecting and providing context information relevant to a user at a particular time and location. Input parameters such as a location and time are selected. Context information is obtained for the selected location and time based on the input parameters. Exemplary input parameters include a user activity history, user content such as calendar appointments, social networking data, and a state of a computing device of the user (e.g., as collected by sensors of the computing device). The computing device of the user presents the obtained context information to the user at the selected location and time.
US08818980B2

A method and system for identifying a group of objects or content that have a plurality of group-wise connections, and for revealing the evolution of the state of those connections over time. A network of symbols are generated to create a symbol backbone, and raw object or content descriptions are mapped to the generated symbols. To identify the objects or content most closely and most interconnectedly related to a query object or content, the query object or content is mapped onto the symbol backbone. The raw object or content description expression set of the related symbols are retrieved, forming the group of interconnected objects or content. The retrieved object or content descriptions can be further refined.
US08818977B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which context can be used to rank search results. Context associated with a user session can be identified. A search query received during the user session can be used to identify a contextual click model based upon the context associated with the user session.
US08818974B2

A method for maintaining a hierarchy bridge table consistent with a corresponding hierarchy table includes listening for a transaction, having a start boundary and an end boundary, on the hierarchy table; and upon detecting and identifying the transaction, directing execution of an update method on the bridge table, where the update method is completed within the boundaries of the transaction using the identity of the transaction and a state of the bridge table at the start boundary of the transaction.
US08818973B1

Techniques for generating and vending of unique sequence values are described. Each master of a ring of masters is configured to create and vend the unique sequence values downstream to filling pools for eventual client consumption. When a ring of masters is employed, each master communicates with one another to agree on a current range of values that should next be vended. A master may then vend these values to a layer of one or more filling pools, at least of which includes or has access to persistent and non-persistent storage memories.
US08818967B2

The invention relates to a method for compressing identifiers of program code elements in a portable data carrier, to a method for calling compressed identifiers, to a portable data carrier, and to a semiconductor chip having a memory area for storing the compressed identifiers.
US08818963B2

Mitigating problems related to the Halloween problem including where update operations potentially allow the record to be visited more than once during the operation. A method includes accessing an instance of a data store operation statement. The instance of the data store operation statement is executed causing an update or delete to an old version of data store record or creation of a data store record resulting in a new version of the data store record in the case of an update or creation of a data store record and a deleted version of the data store record in the case of a delete in the data store. The instance of the data store operation statement is correlated with the new version of the data store record or the deleted version of the data store record.
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